《Paladin to Witch》 1. Smote / Smitten Thesa pointed her glimmering sword at the beast before her. The Crow-Lion was a ragged beast of hell and symbol of the [High Devil] Merijest. As the creature reared onto its hind legs, its beak opened, letting out a shriek as the dozen or so worms in its mouth shook like malformed tongues. Thesa raised her shield, emblazoned with the Three-Horned Bull representing her patron [Deity] Beautuk, son of wisest Owtem and rightful wielder of the Manifest Slate. ¡°By Beautuk¡¯s name, your ravagings shall cease, putrid creature,¡± Thesa said. She focused her mind on her [Deity] and cast both [Reject Evil] and [Manifest Blade]. Holy light filled her body and enveloped her sword, respectively boosting her resistance to and damage against [Evil] creatures. The [Dungeon] chamber flickered. The room was dimly lit by wall-mounted torches. These were mere sparks compared to Beautuk¡¯s magic. Having cast her spells, Thesa braced herself for the Crow-Lion''s first strike. The monster began to retch before spitting out a foul pellet. After a moment, the semi-digested clump began to dissolve into a miasma that inhibited some of Thesa¡¯s Constitution. All the while, the Crow-Lion lowered its avian front-half, its feline tail flicking in the air before it leapt, talons reared, toward Thesa. With her shield, she blocked one of the creature''s talons from making contact, but the other found purchase at the base of her neck. She was knocked prone and the massive claw cut through the skin above her clavicle, curling just enough to get a hold behind the bone. Free strands of blonde hair obscured her vision. The pain and disorientation might have been intolerable for someone else. But as a Level 19 half-elf [Paladin], Thesa wasn¡¯t phased. Remaining calm, she steadied her blade before casting Beautuk¡¯s strength on herself. As she felt her body fill with the power of her god, Thesa thrust her holy blade into the Crow-Lion¡¯s throat, dealing massive amounts of damage. With the sword lodged in its throat, the beast shrieked again. Several of the worms in its beak were propelled out by spit and force. Several landed on Thesa¡¯s face. Yuck. The Crow-Lion held tight to Thesa¡¯s collarbone, scratching against the unbreakable defense of Thesa¡¯s mythril shield. Still unphased, she decided to take a risk. Swiftly maneuvering her shield to serve as a fulcrum against her neck-lodged sword, Thesa applied a powerful pushing force to the sword¡¯s handle. The sword began slashing at the internals of the monster until it broke through the integument skin, creating a huge gash. The Crow-Lion let out one last, exhausted shriek before it slumped forward, dropping all of its dead weight onto Thesa. ***
Crow-Lion Rank: B Attacks: Claws, Miasmic Pellet Notes: Solitary and putrid, the Crow-Lion is a grotesque mirror of its Griffon cousins.
*** After wrenching herself out from under the disgusting pre-rotted corpse of the Crow-Lion, Thesa raised her bloody sword aloft. ¡°Beautuk,¡± she cried, ¡°bless this creature¡¯s soul and lead it away from this accursed realm. May it find eternal mercy in the light of your grace.¡± The shadowy [Dungeon] chamber filled with holy brilliance until Thesa could no longer see. When it faded, the Crow-Lion¡¯s corpse was gone. As Thesa approached the obsidian door at the back of the room, she became strangely sentimental. In many ways, her service to Beautuk was about to truly begin. If she could complete this pilgrimage and manage to slay Merijest¡¯s corporeal avatar in the [Dungeon]¡¯s next and final den, she would not only become a Level 20 [Paladin] worthy of great honor but more importantly, she would be doing a great service to Beautuk and to all of the people on earth who had been hurt and led astray by Merijest¡¯s deceit. All her years of training and all of her adventures had led up to this. She thought all the way back to her first day at the Knight¡¯s Convent. *** Fleeing a mysterious beast, she and her mother had made it to the steps of a Knight¡¯s Convent only for her mother to collapse dead from exhaustion. Infused with naivete and grief, a young Thesa thought it had all been for nothing. But the Knights showed her that death could be defeated. One of the Knights explained the [Holy Deliverance] spell and presented his golden sword for her to see. The knight said it would deliver the body and soul to Beautuk¡¯s [Domain] where she would live forever. Innocently, Thesa reached out a small hand and touched the hilt. Gleaming light enveloped the scene. Once faded, her mother¡¯s body was gone. It was a miracle. The Knights immediately took her under their care for training.Years later, she became Beautuk¡¯s champion. *** Back in the present, Thesa readied her sword and pushed open the obsidian door. She was ready for Merijest to strike her immediately, to hurl a high Level hex, and maybe even to summon more creatures to her aid. She was not ready to see the [High Devil] crying. Merijest was curled in the center of the room. Her draconic wings, maroon in color, shielded the cobalt-skinned body of the demoness. Black plumage puffed out around her neck like a mane, giving way to the short, shaggy black hair and a pair of horns on her head. Even her pointed tail was curled beneath her. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. She laid on the stone floor crying. *** Thesa had no idea how she was supposed to respond to this. Internally, she turned her thoughts to Beautuk and asked for guidance. At that moment, her sword began to glow. Beautuk had temporarily doubled the power of Manifest Blade. Thesa hesitated. The lofty voice of her god drifted into her head, something she had only experienced a few times previously. ¡°Your destiny remains. Kill and deliver.¡± Thesa stepped toward Merijest. ¡°Ahem¡­ [High Devil] Merijest¡­¡± Thesa began, a little unsure of herself. Merijest did not respond so Thesa continued. ¡°...saint of killers and breather of shadows, in the name of Beautuk, son of wisest Owtem and rightful wielder of the Manifest Slate¨C¡± Thesa was interrupted by the gravelly voice of the demoness. It was surprisingly meek. ¡°Do you know where he sends them?¡± For a moment, the interruption actually renewed Thesa¡¯s conviction. She had been trained to ignore the temptations of [Evil]. Besides, it was hardly a question. Beautuk¡¯s [Domain] was the fount of holy magic and energy. It was a place without death. Thesa continued, ¡°I bless your wicked soul and drive it from this realm you have cursed¨C¡± ¡°I can hear their screams, you know?¡± Merijest said. This line of temptation tripped Thesa up for a moment, only because she had no idea what Merijest was talking about. Merijest took advantage of Thesa¡¯s pause and raised her voice slightly. ¡°Each time you smite one of my [Familiars] I receive another unwilling glimpse into that land of eternal awe and revulsion.¡± Her words were twinged with anger but there was a more palpable sense of sadness and fear beneath. This was more confusing, but it wasn¡¯t too big a leap to assume that holiness was a [High Devil]¡¯s idea of terror. She tried to remember where she had paused. ¡°...and¡­and drive it from this realm you¨C¡± Merijest said one more thing with her voice low like churning magma. ¡°I¡¯ve seen your mother¡¯s eternal torment. I was going to save them all.¡± Thesa stopped again. ¡°My¡­my mother?¡± ¡°You have [Paladin] spells, dear. Check to see if I¡¯m lying to you.¡± Merijest shrugged. Thesa hesitated while also fighting with herself internally about hesitating. She shouldn¡¯t be pausing for any reason. Devils lie. Even if the spell came back negative, it could mean anything. Again, Beautuk¡¯s voice entered her mind but more forcefully: ¡°Your destiny remains. Kill and deliver.¡± At that, she remembered she was not alone. Casting her thoughts to Beautuk, she asked, ¡°one who is illustrious to me, please show me the truth behind her lies.¡± This was not the casting of a spell but rather a simple prayer. It was the kind of prayer that many followers had when they were in need of guidance. There was nothing wrong with asking for guidance. ¡°The veracity of her words is of no import, child. Fulfill your task this instant!¡± Thesa winced as the words shot into her head like a migraine headache that reached its peak and faded in a single moment. She tried to keep going but she spoke slowly. ¡°...this realm you have cursed with¨C¡± What did Beautuk mean about the ¡®veracity¡¯ being unimportant. ¡®Lord of Truth¡¯ was not his most frequently used epithet, but it was well-known. That was why he granted the spell [Detect Lies] in the first place, right? Why would Beautuk act contrary to the very morals he represented? She still had a spell slot for [Detect Lies]. It would take only a moment. ¡°Do not cast the spell. Act! Kill! Bring about your destiny!¡± This time Beautuk¡¯s voice brought a more debilitating headache. Thesa buckled and fell to one knee. If the demoness intended to make a surprise strike, this would be the moment. But Merijest only sat up. With only her own dark plumage to cover her chest, she looked with a tearstained face into Thesa¡¯s eyes. ¡°I will not strike you. The choice is yours.¡± Thesa averted the [High Devil]''s gaze. She lifted herself enough to lean over Merijest. Placing a hand around the demoness¡¯s back, Thesa pulled her close. Her hand gripped just below one of the small black spikes going down Merijest¡¯s back, right where skin gave way to scales. The holy sword was taught against her feathered neck. ¡°Even if I wanted to,¡± Thesa said quietly. She looked again into Merijest''s tearstained face, eyes like black glass inlaid with ruby irises around a pearl-white pupil. ¡°Beautuk grants my spells. I could not cast it without his agreement.¡± ¡°Then he¡¯s already lied to you,¡± Merijest said. Thesa could see the demoness''s sharp canine teeth as she continued, ¡°Once your spells are granted at the start of the day, your [Deity] cannot get them back. There may be consequences, but he cannot bar you from seeking the truth.¡± Was that true? The Knights had told her that Beautuk granted each spell as it was cast. That was one of the things that set him apart from other deities. But if that was the case, why did she have to select her spells at the start of the day? This time, Beautuk¡¯s voice hit like a minor seizure. ¡°Do not cast the spell, you fool!¡± Thesa¡¯s body convulsed, her sword dropping to the floor with a clatter. Merijest caught the Paladin¡¯s body before she could fall prone. This wasn¡¯t the Beautuk she knew. This wasn''t even the Merijest she knew. This wasn¡¯t right. The real Beautuk cared about truth. The real Beautuk cared about kindness and mercy even for the worst villains. All were welcome in his [Domain]. This must be a trick by the [High Devil] to confuse her. In fact, Thesa was becoming certain that if she killed this passive creature, she would be somehow playing into Merijest¡¯s plan. ¡°I''m not going to hurt you,¡± Merijest whispered. Thesa cast [Detect Lies] on Merijest. The spell came back negative for the whole conversation. Then Thesa died. Killed by one last word of condemnation from Beautuk. ¡°Fool.¡± Thesa''s soul began to drift around the room, watching Merijest gently supporting the armored corpse as she laid it on the ground. ¡°I am grateful for your mercy,¡± Merijest said without any obvious trace of malice. ¡°But there are greater debts that must be repaid.¡± Merijest placed a hand on Thesa''s forehead and Thesa''s soul could feel a strange cooling sensation even from across the room. Then Merijest breathed a hex into Thesa''s lungs and with a start her soul returned to her body. Thesa coughed as she opened her eyes. 2. Debt / Devotion When Thesa awoke from death, her mouth was dry. Her eyes were open but her senses were fuzzy and her vision was partially blocked by her hair. Merijest seemed to be looking through Thesa¡¯s [equipment]. That was weird and usually only possible with a corpse. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Thesa tried to say, but her dry throat muted the sounds into something more like a cough. Merijest selected something and produced Thesa¡¯s waterskin. ¡°A [Half-Life Revival] takes a toll. Not to mention losing all your [Paladin] abilities. You¡¯ll be wanting this, I presume.¡± She placed the open waterskin at Thesa¡¯s mouth. ¡°Not too much at once, however. That¡¯s enough for now.¡± Merijest pushed the hair out of Thesa''s vision. ¡°Losing¡­my¡­¡± Thesa spoke with great effort but stopped as she realized how much was missing. Her magic, her skills. Something about her celestial armor felt heavier than it had. It all came flooding back. She had chosen wrong. She had misunderstood the trial and she had betrayed Beautuk. This was not good. When a [Paladin] betrays their god, they lose everything. Even the spells she had stocked before would have dissipated upon dying. ¡°You¨Cyou tricked me.¡± Thesa said. ¡°Now you¡¯ve turned me into another undead minion. I have to tell Beautuk that¨C¡± Merijest rolled her eyes. ¡°He just killed you, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Well¡­yes, but I disobeyed. If I had remained under your spell, I might have become a danger to the whole realm,¡± Thesa said as she pulled herself up into a sitting position. ¡°If I can get back to the Knights, I can seek forgiveness and they can¨C¡± Merijest cut her off, pressing a clawed finger into Thesa¡¯s chest armor. ¡°They can what? Kill you? Deliver you to that holy torture?¡± the demoness said. ¡°You can¡¯t fool me again,¡± Thesa said. ¡°I won¡¯t fall under your spell.¡± Merijest shook her head. ¡°Even if I did charm you, you have no way to resist.¡± Thesa swallowed. It was true. She couldn¡¯t exactly activate her [Paladin] powers anymore. She was an apostate, a heretic. Not only that, she was undead. Thesa tried to notice any obvious differences in her undead body but it was difficult to say what was a consequence of revival, what was a consequence of death, and what was a consequence of holy abandonment. ¡°Anyways,¡± Merijest said, leaning back. ¡°It''s no use arguing in this state. You should rest.¡± Thesa did not want to agree, but she felt a tide of exhaustion swell up at the thought followed by intense nausea. Laying back down, she passed out. *** As Thesa¡¯s body waxed and waned between deep sleep and fitful states of grainy consciousness, she found she had been moved from the cold [Dungeon] floor to a soft bed with a blanket and even a pillow beneath her head. At some point, it became obvious that her armor and weapons had been removed. She was down to a gray tank top and shorts. This scared her but through half-opened eyes she saw the equipment had been placed at her bedside. Later, she was conscious of someone sitting beside her who gave her brief sips of water. Probably Merijest. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. She felt a strange comfort but still everything felt wrong. Wasn¡¯t this exactly what she had been warned about? Demons connive and seduce and deceive. Was she just falling for the tricks of the most powerful demon in the realm? She thought back to her preparation. In truth, she had not been warned about this. She had never heard of Beautuk hurting one of his Knights like this or rejecting the values of truth and mercy. Part of her still wondered if this was all some grand ploy by the demoness. Perhaps a powerful hallucinatory spell. But the idea did little to quell the disquiet in her heart. Her dreams were chaotic and fuzzy. Nothing she could pick out or remember except a humanoid rib bone in her hand. *** Eventually, Thesa lay awake, unable to fall back asleep. She still felt winded, but she might as well sit up and get a better look around. As she shuffled into a seated position, Thesa took in the tight chamber she had been resting in. The bed, her armor and equipment on the floor beside her, her waterskin on a short table, a wooden stool, a curtained doorway. Thesa realized something: usually in darkness, her half-elf [Infravision] would activate but she had been seeing plainly this whole time despite the lack of an obvious lightsource. It seemed that the walls, floor, and ceiling of this tiny room were glowing with an ambient, turquoise light. In the smudged surface of her celestial armor, she saw her reflection. Her reflection was sickly with a tangle of bedhead hair. Despite the minor changes, that was her. Still her dark freckles and hazel eyes. Mouth still dry, Thesa took the waterskin, realizing it had been refilled, and drank. She heard something outside the room and then Merijest opened the curtain and came in. Thesa noticed that the [High Devil]¡¯s formerly huge wings had become much smaller on her back. Small enough to move through doorways at least. ¡°Awake then?¡± Merijest asked. ¡°That will make feeding you a lot easier.¡± ¡°How long have I been out?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Only a few weeks,¡± Merijest shrugged. ¡°Weeks?!¡± ¡°Only kidding.¡± Merijest cracked a sly smile. ¡°It has been two days, however, and you are going to need to eat soon.¡± ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± ¡°Depends on what you mean by help. I am helping you through the early stages of your [Half-Life Revival] for the same reason I did it in the first place. I need your assistance. As for whether the revival itself counts as helping, I don¡¯t agree.¡± Thesa was confused. ¡°Then why have you built up such a large army of undead beasts? And why have you interfered with the deliverance of the dead into Beautuk¡¯s [Domain]? They all are safe from becoming undead pawns.¡± ¡°Living forever is not a gift, Thesa,¡± Merijest said. Her spade-tipped tail began to flick back and forth and her calm tone quickly rose into a frustrated rant. ¡°Life is not a privilege but a responsibility and a calling. Insisting on the continued consciousness of the soul is an act of torture. Souls are meant to dissipate over time, leaving traces behind which might be felt as a lingering presence. Beautuk¡¯s disruption of that natural process is only in his own interest. He only wants to fuel his own power with countless living souls. In this realm, Beautuk only receives power from those who choose to follow him. In his own [Domain], that intention is unnecessary. Like wingless angels, they wander a world of searing light for eternity, being siphoned for an insatiable god.¡± Thesa could not find words to say. Surely that wasn¡¯t true, right? As if reading her mind, Merijest added, ¡°I really did see your mother. And I¡¯m sorry but she really is in terrible pain. I¡¯ll leave you to think about what I¡¯ve said.¡± Even when Merijest returned later with a plate of scrambled Phoenix eggs and various vegetables from throughout the [Dungeon], Thesa could find nothing to say. She didn¡¯t even notice that it was sort of weird for a [High Devil] to have plates and a method for preparing meals. Merijest stepped out again and Thesa ate in silence, continuously reviewing her whole life and everything she knew. 3. Revive / Rebuke Several days passed with few words between the two. For the most part, Thesa was either sleeping off the side effects of being revived or staring at the wall rethinking her life. Because she mostly kept to her chamber, Thesa only got small glimpses of the breadth of Merijest¡¯s dwelling. Outside her curtain was a room with a table for eating, a small iron stove, and some other implements. There were three additional doorways circling the room. One for the bathroom, one that extended into a hallway, and a third that was always closed. Beyond that might have been almost nothing or an expanse of winding corridors and rooms. She didn¡¯t know. After a week of replaying the memories of her death, it became more and more difficult to ignore the fact that Beautuk had done something wrong in that moment. Still, she did not want to buy into the idea that he was completely bad. She wondered if an [Evil] power had influenced her [Deity] or impersonated him, but even that questioned many assumptions and Convent precepts. Still, she knew plenty about the crimes committed by the [High Devil] Merijest. She would need to escape sooner or later. Thesa wondered if any of the Knights knew what was happening. She decided that was impossible and resolved to share the truth with the other Knights as soon as possible. To do that, she would need to leave this [Dungeon] and to do that she would need to figure out what Merijest wanted from her. More than two weeks after her arrival, Thesa was sitting up in bed and starting to feel much better. Merijest had explained that the luminescent bricks were meant to contribute to her recovery. When the demoness poked her head through the curtain to check Thesa''s water, Thesa asked, ¡°is revival always this demanding?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Merijest said nonchalantly in her gravelly voice. ¡°On the one hand, the death spell that got you didn¡¯t leave a lot of physical damage. At the same time, your situation is unique considering the Levels you lost in [Paladin]. Usually it only takes one week for a new [Familiar] to recover.¡± ¡°What happens if you don''t tend to someone after?¡± Thesa asked before processing more of Merijest¡¯s words and adding, ¡°Wait, does this mean I''m your [Familiar] now?!¡± Unvexed, Merijest exited the small chamber as she responded. ¡°I do not know what would happen. I tend to all of them. And yes, a [Familiar].¡± Thesa immediately stood and followed Merijest into the other room. Merijest was sitting at the table with another chair already pulled out for Thesa. Taking a seat, Thesa realized for the first time just how dark Merijest''s hair was. Neither the glowing bricks in the recovery chamber nor the candles at the table cast so much as a reflective gleam on it. The only break in the void was her horns. Thinking back, Thesa thought Merijest''s hair might have stayed completely colorless even in the presence of Beautuk''s magic. ¡°You''re probably wondering when you can leave here and go back to your friends,¡± Merijest said. ¡°I do not expect that to go well, but I won''t stop you¡­after you fulfill your debt to me, that is.¡± Thesa swallowed. Merijest seemed to grow taller as she awaited Thesa''s response. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°And if I refuse?¡± Thesa said. ¡°Then I will end our contract and you will return to death,¡± Merijest said nonchalantly. ¡°I reserve the right to retract my [Half-Life Revival]. I can''t afford to keep you alive if you won''t even repay your debts.¡± Thesa considered her words. Dying would honestly solve some of the moral dilemmas that were plaguing her right now, but someone needed to tell the Knights what was happening so they could start looking for a way to help the people in Beautuk''s realm. ¡°And what exactly do you want me to do?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Seeing as you killed the last of my [Familiars] and delivered them to eternal torment, you will need to help me refill my ranks. As my [Familiar], I can grant you certain abilities, and if you agree to be my [Witch], I can grant you more. Although that would require you to follow some additional tenets. When you have made enough progress, I will allow you to visit your beloved Knights.¡± Thesa felt the blood drain from her face. Could she really help Merijest regrow her army of undead [Familiars]? And for what? The subjugation of the world? The reign of death over life? For now, it seemed like the only option. How else could she ever manage to communicate with the Knights? Then again, what if she helped Merijest only for the [High Devil] to break their agreement? It was possible that she was facing eternal servitude or death. For now, though, she agreed. Perhaps as she helped Merijest, Thesa could find a way to escape and keep herself from dying long enough to reach the Knights. After enough thought, Thesa replied, ¡°I will help you as your [familiar], but I am not willing to become your [Witch]. I just lost my Levels in [Paladin]. I don''t need another Class that I''ll eventually lose.¡± Thesa did not admit that she wanted to minimize her reliance on Merijest''s dark magic. ¡°From here on I''ll just be a standard fighter. My spells and feats are gone, but my Ability Scores are still pretty high. [Strength] isn''t my best, but it will be enough for now. I can''t exactly imagine another Class I could pick up at the bottom of the [Dungeon].¡± ¡°I do have access to a number of magic texts if you''re more interested in something like [Wizard]. I can sense your mental stats are pretty good overall.¡± Merijest explained. With a twirl of her finger, the always-closed door opened to reveal a small library. ¡°I''ll think about it,¡± Thesa said, looking away. She worried the book selection might lean toward the dark and unseemly. ¡°Very well,¡± Merijest said. ¡°My collection will remain open to you if you change your mind. That said, we will need to begin soon. Beautuk has likely already shared news of you defecting with his active followers. As you know, there are many autonomous monsters and unsprung traps in the hundred [Floors] above us in this [Dungeon]. Still, we should not delay more than another day or two.¡± For the first time, Thesa wondered what Beautuk might have told the other Knights.

Bonus Vignette

Thesa had just woken from a full day of sleep. Merijest stood in the healing chamber, leaning over Thesa''s bed and checking her new familiar for any obvious, unexpected symptoms after her recent half-life revival. ¡°Can''t you at least put a shirt on?¡± Thesa asked as her eyes darted around looking for anything else to stare at. Merijest smirked and stood upright. ¡°Does my immodesty bother you so?¡± she replied. The word ¡®immodesty¡¯ dripping with sarcasm. ¡°Aren''t you cold?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°I think you already know the answer to that.¡± As Thesa''s cheeks burst into metaphorical flames, she considered just passing out for another few days. 4. Monster / Ally Two days later, Thesa emerged from the healing chamber, clad in mythril chainmail, having left behind her sword, shield, and celestial armor (which bore magical attachments to Beautuk). Merijest waited at the hallway entrance to the main room. Beside her was a loaded pack topped with a single tent-roll. ¡°Ready? Today we¡¯ll tackle the first few [Floors].¡± ¡°How¡¯re you going to wear that with your wings?¡± Thesa asked, gesturing to the equipment. Merijest¡¯s expression was flat. ¡°You will be carrying these.¡± Thesa grumbled as she hefted the supplies onto her back. She was certainly athletic enough for the job, but she didn¡¯t have to enjoy doing the demoness¡¯s unwanted tasks. ¡°What exactly will we be doing on these [Floors]?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Looking for any monsters you missed on your way down.¡± Merijest explained, ¡°Lower [Floors] tend to have fewer monsters, but those monsters tend to be higher Level. Not to mention most of the monsters down here were already my [Familiars] and I would know if you missed any of them. It''s unlikely we will find anything but anything we do find will make a powerful ally.¡± Thesa nodded and followed the [High Devil] through a series of hallways until they reached an ovular, blue door. Merijest muttered a hex under her breath and traced her hand over the door in a distinct pattern. The blue receded, revealing an entrance to the chamber where Thesa had died. ¡°Why can''t that portal just take us to the surface?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°It''s a [Dungeon Seal], not a portal. It makes my dwelling technically not a part of the [Dungeon] even though they are structurally connected. It protects my home from some of the [Dungeon]''s nastier effects and protects anyone inside my home from the prying detection of adventurers using abilities to map it.¡± ¡°In that case,¡± Thesa wondered, ¡°why even bother waiting in the final chamber? You could have hidden from me altogether.¡± ¡°Living at the bottom of a [Dungeon] isn''t just about security. I am deeply familiar with many of the [Dungeon]''s most potent magical properties. Being within its bounds allows me a better fighting chance than hiding in my bedroom.¡± Merijest said. ¡°Of course, I hadn''t expected to respond to the death of my last [Familiar] like¡­that.¡± Merijest¡¯s usually confident voice returned to a trace of the vulnerability she had displayed when Thesa first saw her. Although the demoness stopped speaking and maintained a confident face, her tail had raised a notch. Past the chamber where Thesa had slain the Crow-Lion, they ascended a staircase up to the 100th [Floor] of the [Dungeon]. *** The first room they entered was a long, narrow hallway with pendulum blades swinging irregularly. Thesa recalled crossing this gauntlet from the other side during her descent. The solution was to activate a lever on one side that retracted the pendulums for a few seconds. Before, the trick was to pull from across the dangerous hallway, but now, they were beginning on the lever-side so it wouldn''t be a problem. Thesa pulled the lever and began to walk forward only for Merijest to put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Stop,¡± said Merijest. ¡°Many of the traps in this [Dungeon] have a second twist for those leaving from the bottom Level.¡± She picked up a pebble and tossed it across the room. Each time it touched the floor, the pendulums emerged for three swings before being retracted again. ¡°I always wondered why anybody would spend so much money on an [Escape Spawn],¡± Thesa said. It always seemed like a lot of resources for a quick exit, but Thesa had never asked for clarification. During her training, [Escape Spawns] had come up right after Thesa got a talking to about asking too many ¡®unnecessary¡¯ questions. ¡°Did you have one?¡± Merijest asked? ¡°No,¡± Thesa shrugged. ¡°I guess it just slipped my mind. Once I was at a high enough Level to delve here, I was told there was no time for additional preparations¡­ I think I had one on me, but I didn¡¯t prime it on the surface so it was useless and I ended up selling it¡­¡± She trailed off before continuing, ¡°Still, why would that be necessary? If an adventurer got all the way to the bottom, they would have killed the [Dungeon Core]. What''s to gain with extra traps?¡± ¡°Not all [Dungeons] have a [Dungeon Core], " Merijest shrugged as she made gestures to cast [Levitation] on herself and Thesa. ¡°Rather than wasting time looking for a core, I found a naturally occurring [Dungeon] that I could inhabit. It''s only more dangerous if you''re an imbecile.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°How can a [Dungeon] be naturally occurring?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°About half of all [Dungeons] are actually Imitative Caverns, an extremely large relative of the Mimic family. The more adventurers are lured in by treasure and fame, the more [Mana] it can consume. Even without magical means, you can usually detect them by how disconnected the theme of each [Floor] is from the next.¡± Thesa had thought a [Deity] needed to have a realm or at least a [Dungeon], but she wasn¡¯t sure. Being deep in the mouth of a giant monster made her a little queasy, but she tried to swallow the information and present a collected demeanor. On the positive side, she was intrigued that the [High Devil] Merijest would need to seek out a [Dungeon] at all. No matter how powerful she seemed, she had limits that Thesa would need to discover if she hoped to escape. Thesa and Merijest passed through several empty chambers with only the superficial remains of Thesa''s descent. Delivering someone to Beautuk removed most evidence of the creatures, so most of the blood was Thesa''s own. As the pair entered the last hallway of this [Floor], they found their first monster. A Chimerblin came barreling toward them on its clawed, ape-like limbs. Its tiger''s head drooled as it approached, pausing every few steps but never looking away. Feathered wings curled behind its back and its tail flicked in the air. ***
Chimerblin Rank: C Attacks: Claws, Kick Notes: Chimerblins are semi-social. They prefer to keep to their own territory, but a network of solitary Chimerblins will often provide mutual defense against larger monsters.
*** For the first time in a long time, Thesa prepared to fight a monster with nothing but her hands. She was relieved and a little embarrassed to see Merijest stepping forward with her hands raised. However, rather than casting a spell on the creature, Merijest merely crouched and met its gaze. She blinked and looked away as if uninterested. Her tail lay uncurled beside her. The Chimerblin paused its steps again and seemed caught off-guard as well. Its tail lowered ever so slightly, but when it looked up at Thesa its tail raised again. Merijest stepped in front of Thesa and met the creature''s gaze again with a harder stare and low growl, raising her tail more than the Chimerblin¡¯s. The Chimerblin finally lowered its tail completely and plopped down on the floor. ¡°What did you do to it?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°¡®Monsters¡¯ are just like any other animal. If you learn how they communicate, violence need not be your first choice,¡± Merijest said as she slowly approached the Chimerblin and cautiously began scratching its chin. It immediately melted into relaxation and even rolled over on its back. ¡°I¡¯m good with animals. Having a tail helps too and I''m particularly good with cats since I used to have one¡­as a [Familiar], I mean.¡± Thesa wasn''t sure why Merijest had hesitated or clarified the cat was a [Familiar]. Did she just have like a pet cat at some point? What would that even mean for a [High Devil] to have a pet cat? Merijest put her forehead against the Chimerblin''s, then after some time, she looked up at Thesa. ¡°This creature has granted me permission to give it a sigil. This will make it a [Familiar] to me while alive and if it dies, it will automatically be spared into a half-life revival. Having the sigil in advance will also eliminate the restoration time needed after the revival.¡± Merijest reached a claw into her own mouth and yanked a dagger-sharp tooth out of her gums. The demoness moved her hand over it and Thesa watched as the tooth split in half and crumbled in on itself before floating ethereally through the fur on the Chimerblin¡¯s chest. Her mouth filled with a stream of blood, dark blue as the night sky. The [High Devil] looked up at Thesa to say, ¡°they grow back. My teeth.¡± She smiled, a bloody smile. Thesa started to realize how odd this adventuring party was going to be. A demoness, a Level 0 [Fighter], and now a Chimerblin. Thesa had originally made her way down most of the [Dungeon] above with the help of hirelings whom she had released from service around [Floors] 95 so that they could [Escape Spawn] to the surface without risking their souls in Merijest¡¯s clutches. Knights rarely had anything resembling a normal, permanent adventuring party, but her current team still felt like a new level of strange. *** As the ambient light of the [Dungeon] waned, Merijest told Thesa to make camp. Meanwhile, the demoness watched the Chimerblin. ¡°This pack is pretty heavy, but I¡¯m surprised you managed to fit two tents in a single roll,¡± Thesa said as she unbuckled one of the straps that was keeping it secured to the pack. ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Merijest replied without looking up. The Chimerblin continued wandering the campsite, investigating various smells and rubbing its face on things. ¡°There are two bedrolls but we will be sharing the tent for cover.¡± Thesa nodded, but as she unrolled and set up the tent, she started to realize just how small it was. She felt a rush of blood in her cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s ok, I¡¯ll sleep outside.¡± Merijest shrugged. ¡°Do as you will.¡±

Bonus Vignette

Thesa struggled to sleep with only the thin mat between her and the floor. Most of the time, Thesa tried her best not to look at the base of the demoness¡¯s tail. That would be¡­imprudent. However, when Merijest had crouched in front of her, raising her tail and hips to communicate with the Chimerblin¡­ Thesa had not looked away as fast as she should have. To her utter dismay, she had noticed the demoness¡¯s soft curves and arched back. Tortured at the thought of being¨C of being¨C she refused to finish the thought. She would just have to forget it happened and stop thinking about Merijest¡¯s¡­backside¡­ This same line of thought returned night after night. 5. Safety / Danger By the time the party reached [Floor] 90, Merijest had already managed to corral 15 or 20 monsters into being her [Familiars]. Tooth after tooth, she crafted sigils. ¡°I¡¯m like a shark,¡± she said, looming over Thesa with a sharp, pockmarked grin. ¡°They¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡± There hadn''t even been a chance for Thesa to train her [Fighter] Class into existence. It was still 0. She was starting to wonder if the demoness even really needed her for help. Most of the newly-allied monsters remained on their [Floor] near their brooding nests, social groups, or important choke points for incoming adventurers. Still, they had been joined by a small Three-Eyed Grackle and, to Thesa''s utter dismay, a Hundred-Legged Snake. ¡°I''m not afraid of it,¡± Thesa said (lying). ¡°I just¡­don''t see what we are gaining by letting this¡­new ally follow us.¡± ¡°Do you only think of other living beings in terms of their value to you?¡± Merijest said, maintaining a calm tone with just the slightest touch of condescending judgment. Her subtext had the precision of a head chef¡¯s cooking. Just a hint of spice, but enough to make Thesa¡¯s cheeks burn. Nonetheless, Thesa led the group (keeping her distance from the Hundred-Legged Snake at the back). ***
Three-Eyed Grackle Rank: C Attacks: Peck, Talons, Grim Stare Notes: Highly intelligent. The Three-Eyed Grackle can solve basic math problems.
*** As they rounded a corner on [Floor] 89, they ran into something different, a party of adventurers. A bird-kin [Fighter] with golden feathers, an igniad [Wizard] whose flame-body flickered against the darkness, and a beardless half-dwarf [Cleric], from the looks of it. Accompanying the trio were four manne-kin, however their stiff demeanor implied the manne-kin were [Puppet Constructs] rather than sapient individuals. All were seated around a small fire. None had noticed the approaching entourage of a [High Devil] and her [Familiars]. Merijest exhaled a silent hex and Thesa immediately heard the word ¡°Wait,¡± appear in her head. It was not a magically authoritative command. More akin to the [Message] cantrip. Still, Thesa had not been expecting the mental intrusion and although it lacked the holy gravitas of Beautuk''s communications, Thesa''s hair stood on end like every cell of her body was trying to escape her in that moment. Realizing her misstep, Merijest placed a kind hand on Thesa''s shoulder and a pragmatic hand over Thesa''s mouth. Merijest spoke directly into her ear now in a low but clear whisper. ¡°I''m sorry for shocking you, but we need to back up and remain undetected for a moment.¡± Removing the hand from Thesa''s mouth, Merijest led Thesa out of sight along with the other creatures in their party. Thesa''s heart was still beating fairly rapidly as she began to wonder for the first time if Beautuk could simply smite her down again. As if somehow reading her mind, Merijest looked Thesa in the eyes with her pearl-white pupils and said calmly, ¡°Beautuk is not able to kill me or my [familiars] the same way he killed you before. As long as you are with me, you are safe.¡± Thesa sat staring back at the demoness as her heart rate lowered. Somewhere under the panic she wondered how Merijest could be so in tune with her emotions. ¡°Are you going to be ok?¡± Merijest asked, raising an eyebrow as she pushed some hair out of her own face. ¡°I think so,¡± Thesa said. ¡°Good, because I need you to go in there by yourself and talk to those people for me.¡± This made Thesa laugh, cutting through her panic. She stifled the sound. ¡°Why were you so afraid?¡± She whispered. ¡°It''s like I said before,¡± Merijest explained. ¡°You will need to help me refill my ranks. And I was thinking that since you¡¯re my only sapient [Familiar], you could try to, you know, talk some other sapients into joining our cause.¡± ¡°Why don''t you do it?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°I''m not exactly the people''s demoness, ok? When I approach humanoids, they usually treat me as hostile on sight.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Thesa looked at Merijest wings and naked, monstrous skin and sighed. Supposedly, this was part of her ¡®debt¡¯ and even if the adventures were unconvinced, Merijest couldn''t hold that against her, right? Then her thoughts turned to the horrible deeds of the [High Devil] and she started to worry the results would be held against her. She had to make this good. She tried to think about how she had talked up Beautuk in the past, however most of her time with the Knights was pretty isolated from outsiders. She had managed 0 converts in the ten years since reaching adulthood. The Archknight Superior said Thesa¡¯s constant discussion of Beautuk might have been off-putting to some. With a deep breath and some careful thought, Thesa approached the trio of adventurers and, with as much gusto as she could manage, said, ¡°hello, I¡¯m Thesa, are any of you afraid of dying? Well the good news is that if you pledge yourself to my patron, you don¡¯t have to worry about that!¡± The conversation did not go well. Something about Thesa¡¯s words had immediately ruined the vibe. ¡°Death cultist!¡± shouted the bird-kin [Fighter] as they grabbed their sword, the igniad [Wizard]¡¯s flame-body cycled through a variety of hues as they started chanting, and the half-dwarf [Cleric] immediately came barreling toward Thesa with the four [Puppet Constructs] charging after. Thesa raised her unarmed fists, and prepared to fight off the attacking party on her own. Internally, she felt an attempt by the [Cleric] to use [Repel Undead] on her, and she just barely resisted the [Fleeing] condition. Certain she was about to die again, she wondered if Merijest would even be able to revive her a second time. However, Merijest immediately appeared at Thesa¡¯s side and began casting her own spells. Bolts of feathery, dark magic gutted the half-dwarf [Cleric] and a shadowy aura overtook the room, swallowing the light from the enemy party¡¯s fire and from the body of the igniad. Thesa¡¯s eyes quickly adjusted as a film akin to a lizard¡¯s brille slid into place and allowed her to see with half-elf [Infravision]. The edges of the room were dark blue with each of their opponents¡¯ bodies lit up brighter colors indicating higher temperatures. All four of the manne-kin displayed a slightly higher temperature than a plain object but no obvious core temperature that might indicate sapience. Thesa quickly scanned the room for any hidden opponents but found nothing. At the same time that Merijest had arrived, the Chimerblin pounced one of the [Puppet Constructs] and began tearing the plastic with claws and teeth. Its lower legs clung to its target while its wings were expanded to maintain balance. Meanwhile the Three-Eyed Grackle took to pecking and scratching at the [Wizard]¡¯s eyes. Its glare attacks wouldn¡¯t function well in the dark. The bird-kin [Fighter] acted faster than Thesa, leaping toward her with sword outstretched. The [Fighter]¡¯s form with the sword was good, but because the attacker had started from further away, Thesa was able to sidestep the blade without much trouble. Unfortunately, the [Fighter] had something else up their sleeve, pulling a dagger with their off-hand and stabbing Thesa¡¯s shoulder through a gap in her armor. Thesa winced and the [Fighter] hit her with a swing of their sword which bounced off of her breastplate but sent her tumbling prone. Thesa instinctively tried to cast [Minor Heal] before remembering her predicament. All her [Paladin] spells were gone. As warm blood wet her dominant shoulder, she froze in panic. In Thesa¡¯s peripheral vision, the igniad [Wizard] gestured three [Magic Missiles] into existence before flicking one bolt at the Three-Eyed Grackle above their head and the other two at Merijest, who took the hits and stumbled momentarily. The [Wizard] followed it up with [Cone of Ice] which impaled Merijest through the stomach. Merijest¡¯s breathing slowed but she did not seem terribly concerned. However, when she glanced at Thesa¡¯s bleeding arm, she swore in a language Thesa couldn''t understand. Momentarily jolted out of panic, Thesa needed to act. She pushed herself up and threw her bodyweight at the [Fighter] who had knocked her prone. Although her [Strength] had not been decreased by the loss of her [Paladin] Levels, it wasn¡¯t exactly incredible compared to someone who had been actively training a more [Strength] focused Class like [Fighter] and she quickly found herself pinned under her opponent, rather than the other way around. To one side, she watched the Chimerblin¡¯s tail flicking low to the ground before it jumped on another manne-kin, implying it had finished with its previous kill. The Grackle appeared to have retreated after being hit with the [Magic Missile], but Thesa could hear it squawking somewhere nearby. Thesa continued to wrestle the [Fighter], trying to either reverse the situation or get ahold of one of their weapons. Unfortunately, she was not in a good position for either action to be successful against her opponent¡¯s superior [Strength]. Thesa thought back to what Merijest had said about granting her [Familiars] certain abilities, but she had never clarified what that might look like. In desperation, Thesa searched within herself for a well of power she would not recognize. Finding a vague notion, she pulled from down deep and watched her hand take on a hazy form with claws akin to Merijest¡¯s. The [Fighter] looked surprised by the development and Thesa seized the chance to grab the bird-kin¡¯s feathered neck and begin forcing the point of her temporarily-clawed thumb into the soft underside of her enemies head. With the added shock of the pain, she was able to reposition her legs and arms to quickly reverse positions with her opponent. Merijest seemed to take this as inspiration. In a burst of feathers, she disappeared before reappearing directly in front of the [Wizard], slitting their throat, and breaking their neck with a twist of the head. The remaining two manne-kin who had been contending with the Chimerblin clattered to the ground. With another gesture, Merijest cast [Aura of Fear] onto Thesa whose pinned opponent suddenly became even more disoriented by the force of intimidation. Thesa looked at the [Fighter] and hesitated again. Before, killing a violent opponent would have been uncomplicated and she could easily wipe her hands clean by delivering the corpse to [Beautuk]. Even if she had been misled about their final destination, killing the bird-kin beneath her would mean really killing them. The [Fighter] took another swing with their dagger and Thesa instinctively finished the job before she could take more damage. Then she fell to the floor exhausted and, for the third time in the past couple minutes, panicking. 6. Blood / Recovery Merijest relit the dead party¡¯s campfire. She sat with her back against the wall. Her stomach was bleeding night-sky blue blood where the [Cone of Ice] had impaled her. More blood colored the inside of her mouth. As she gestured and whispered a hex, a feather picked itself from her plumage. The base of the feather squeezed itself into a point and it moved like a needle through the skin around Merijest¡¯s stomach, creating a web of glowing sutures. The feather moved away from her stomach, tightening the sutures and bringing the flesh together. With a wince from the demoness, all evidence of the injury had gone. ¡°Let me see your wound,¡± she said. Thesa wrenched herself off the ground. She approached and slumped against the wall beside Merijest, struggling to hold herself up as she shook. ¡°This will be easier if you lie down,¡± Merijest said as she guided Thesa to a more relaxed position with her head in the demoness¡¯s lap. The skin and scales of her thighs were smooth and comfortable. ¡°You are safe now,¡± Merijest said. She pushed Thesa¡¯s armor aside and repeated the same hex she had cast on herself. Thesa winced as the enchanted feather sewed up her wounds. Each time it pushed into her flesh, she felt the vanes tickling through a new break. The process was excruciating. Still, she was grateful that being undead didn¡¯t preclude her from healing spells. ¡°I know that,¡± Thesa managed through shaking lips. She wondered what Merijest read into her quivering voice. Thesa knew the threat of the party had passed. She knew that Merijest would not hurt her as long as she was useful. She wanted to say her current panic had nothing to do with safety. Wanted to say it was only the guilt of killing without some greater plan. But she realized that was not completely true. Finally she added, ¡°but I don¡¯t feel it.¡± For a moment, Merijest looked genuinely sympathetic. Then her attention turned to patching up her non-sapient [Familiars]. The Chimerblin sat almost like a slouched human, licking a small wound on its ape-like skin. The Three-Eyed Grackle perched on the demoness¡¯s shoulder, preening its frazzled feathers. Their injuries were less severe so Thesa remained laying in Merijest¡¯s lap all the while. Then, she fell asleep. *** An unusually vivid dream came to Thesa. At least, it was unusually vivid for her. Again, a humanoid rib bone in her hand. The smell of wine. An itch behind her skull but when she reached to scratch it, she felt nothing. The scene changed and she saw another of the Knights fully armored and standing in a cavern. The Knight was yelling something but Thesa couldn¡¯t hear her. *** When she woke, Thesa still had her head in Merijest¡¯s lap, although the demoness too had fallen asleep. A ring of blue light suggested some sort of warding spell and the Chimerblin moved between each door of the chamber. The Three-Eyed Grackle was curled up near the fire. Thesa thought she must have only gotten half of a normal rest, but she couldn¡¯t fall back asleep. Thesa had a gut feeling the Knight in her dream had been Kelreyn, one of her friends at the Convent. They¡¯d trained together for years both as children at the Convent Schoolhouse and as young adults in the Convent Knight Training program. However, Thesa lacked the skills to discern a prophetic [Dream] from a regular dream. Kelreyn¡­ Was she in danger? What could Thesa even do about that? She wanted to sit up and get closer to the fire, but Merijest¡¯s sleeping hands was on her shoulder. When Thesa began to shift herself into an upright position, Merijest started to stir and although she was growing more comfortable with her new¡­patron, she didn¡¯t want to see what would happen if she woke a [High Devil]. Suddenly, Thesa realized she hadn¡¯t seen the Hundred-Legged Snake since the fight began. That wasn¡¯t terribly unusual. Although they can scuttle with uncomfortable speed, Hundred-Legged Snakes move slowly over longer distances and struggle to keep up with walking humanoids. Looking around the room, she finally spotted the creature with its jaw unhinged. It was halfway through swallowing the bird-kin [Fighter]. Thesa¡¯s eyes widened and her heart rate increased, but she definitely didn¡¯t want to wake up Merijest. That would only fuel the idea that she was afraid of Hundred-Legged Snakes (which she was). At the same time, she could not bring herself to look away from what was happening because the hair on her neck told her that she needed to keep better track of its location. Skin crawling, she watched for an hour or two before the Hundred-Legged Snake had completely swallowed its prey and fallen asleep, digesting. Despite her fear, Thesa managed another hour or two of sleep. It wasn¡¯t restful and this time her dreams were full of Hundred-Legged Snakes. But it was still sleep. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The next day, Thesa followed Merijest and her merry band of beasts through a few more [Floors]. Again, there were no sapient adventurers. It was pretty difficult to make it down this far. Thesa had taken the sword from the dead bird-kin [Fighter], but she was wary about using it. Luckily, she did not have to. On [Floor] 86, Merijest befriended a Cow-Dog, which seemed likely to follow the group. It looked almost like a regular dalmatian except for the horns and udders. ***
Cow-Dog Rank: D Attacks: Scratch, Gore Notes: Excitable and friendly, the Cow-Dog¡¯s milk is a specialty in some regions.
*** ¡°If the [Dungeon] is a giant mimic, then where do all the monsters come from?¡± Thesa wondered. ¡°Some find their way in but many of them are created by the Imitative Cavern. Especially this far down. They are the organs through which the creature breaks down its food.¡± Merijest said. ¡°Before you ask me anything else, we need to talk about your¡­performance last night.¡± Her expression was wry, but not necessarily mean. She added, ¡°You¡¯re not exactly a born sales woman.¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t have a lot of time to prepare,¡± Thesa said. She blushed. ¡°I¡¯m not really great at evangelizing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t [Paladins] need high [Charisma]?¡± Merijest asked. One hand on the maroon scales of her hip. ¡°I do have high [Charisma]!¡± Thesa said. ¡°It''s my highest stat and it makes¨Cmade me very good as a [Paladin]. But I don¡¯t have the kind of [Charisma] where you can talk to people well. I just have a lot of conviction. At least, that¡¯s what Archknight Superior said.¡± Merijest looked Thesa up and down. She bit her lip with sharp teeth. ¡°I guess it makes sense if all your [Charisma] is based on¡­appearances.¡± While Thesa blushed, Merijest stood up and began walking down a winding corridor as she continued talking. ¡°Anyways, we need to work on your pitch if I am to gain any new sapient followers. For one thing, we should go over your abilities as my [Familiar] and talk about the lead in. Part of what makes you useful is that your appearance will not immediately frighten off adventurers. You need to let the conversation go a little longer before you bring me up.¡± Thesa thought about this and nodded as she followed. ¡°So what should I say? ¡®Hey, I¡¯m Thesa. I¡¯m not a [Paladin] but I used to be and I¡¯d like to talk to you about something¡¯?¡± Thesa was, it must be said, really trying. Merijest laughed warmly. ¡°It''s a good start, but maybe just take a break after ¡®Hey, I''m Thesa.¡¯ Find out their names before you start filling in the rest of your life. Otherwise you risk coming across as too¡­¡± ¡°Desperate?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°I was going to say ¡®forceful,¡¯ but take your pick.¡± Merijest shrugged. ¡°But what do I know? You''re the first sapient I''ve had on my team in¡­ever.¡± That surprised Thesa. ¡°But what about the legions of soldiers in all your battles with the Knights over the ages?¡± Merijest stopped walking and looked back at Thesa. Her face showed genuine confusion. ¡°I have no idea what you''re talking about.¡± Thesa explained, ¡°Like, there was this battle like 40 or 50 years ago in the Valrine Canyon, where the Knights rescued dozens of innocent victims from the clutches of an army of cultists acting in your name.¡± ¡°Thesa, I''ve only been¡­active for like ten years.¡± Merijest corrected. ¡°Whatever you''re thinking of, it must have been someone else.¡± Thesa tried to remember more clearly. ¡°No, it was definitely about you. I think that one of the Knights told me you had resurfaced after decades of dormancy. Also, I think Archbishop Superior was there. She said the cultists were sacrificing babies in exchange for horrible spells and¡­¡± ¡°And what?¡± Merijest asked. Her face showed a mix of concern and amusement. ¡°Um, and they¡­delivered the dead to Beautuk''s [Domain]. I think Beautuk said you were the latest incarnation of an enemy he''d been opposing for millenia.¡± Thesa stopped walking as she thought about all the things she had seen since she died. Her legs shook under her, so she took a seat on the ground. ¡°I guess it''s kind of confusing. A lot of the things I thought were true were lies. I don''t know where it ends.¡± Merijest sighed. Standing over Thesa, she said, ¡°Sounds like the Knights beefed up my evil resume.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Thesa said. ¡°I didn''t mean to accuse you of sacrificing babies or whatever.¡± ¡°How about we start fresh? My name is Merijest. What''s yours?¡± Thesa laughed. ¡°I''m Thesa. Nice to meet you,¡± she said in a sing-songy voice. Merijest laughed softly. She sat down and put a hand on Thesa''s knee. ¡°I know it''s scary to question things you''ve believed for a long time.¡± Thesa looked away. Tears were welling in her eyes and she was still trying to swallow them up and pretend she was fine. For her part, Merijest pretended not to notice.

Bonus Vignette

Before her more distressing and esoteric dream, Thesa had a different kind of dream¡­ It started with her head, as it was in real life, resting in Merijest¡¯s lap, supported by the demoness¡¯s soft thighs¡­ NOBODY could know about that dream. She needed to forget it, just like she had successfully forgotten about that time she looked at Merijest¡¯s butt for too long¡­ FUCK! Now she was remembering that again too. 7. Combat / Martyrdom On [Floor] 76, Thesa nearly died (again). Having run into another party of six adventurers, Merijest sent Thesa in for another try at proselytizing. The [Floor] had no discernable theme except that the walls were covered in wallpaper with strange patterns. ¡°Hey, I''m Thesa. Who are you?¡± The party''s foxfolk [Bard] looked Thesa up and down with a concerned look. ¡°Do you need something?¡± Thesa felt her cheeks flush. ¡°Um, I just wanted to get to know you guys¡­and um¡­see if¡­¡± She ran a hand through her blonde hair. A human [Summoner] in the group said, ¡°Guys, do you think this is one of those illusions that distracts you while a monster sneaks up from behind?¡± With that, the party''s cephalopoid [Rogue] leapt at Thesa while the other members of the party stood up and looked around. Thesa found herself once again pinned to the ground, although the [Rogue] didn''t seem keen on actually hurting her. Until, that is, one of the party members shrieked ¡°HUNDRED-LEGGED SNAKE!¡± Sure enough, it had found the time to scuttle around to the other side of the party, confirming their presuppositions. The whole party went on the offensive. A Thunder Frog was summoned, a [Song of Greatness] was strummed on a lute, and a [Wizard] Thesa hadn''t gotten a good look at cast [Magic Missile] on the Hundred-Legged Snake. Like the previous encounter with sapients, Merijest emerged from darkness and started magically beating the shit out of everyone. Thesa figured she would fare better this time. As soon as she had gone down, she transformed her non-dominant hand into a temporary claw and was quickly able to take the bird-kin [Fighter]¡¯s sword from her side. However, the [Rogue] had other ideas. In no time at all, the sword was out of her hand and her claw was pinned to the ground. Before anything else could happen, the Chimerblin and Cow-Dog pounced the [Rogue] in tandem and began tearing into their squid-like flesh. The Chimerblin¡¯s tail was low to the ground while the Cow-Dogs wagged up in the air. Then a living-stone [Barbarian] among the enemy party nodded at the [Wizard] (who turned out to be a kobold). Soon, the [Barbarian] was being swung around the dungeon chamber like a boulder. First, they knocked the Chimerblin and Cow-Dog off the injured [Rogue], then the living-stone opponent was torpedoing towards Thesa''s head. Still laying on the ground, she tried to roll out of the way, but the [Wizard]¡¯s spell was locked-on. Before the [Barbarian] could crush Thesa''s brain, however, Merijest appeared in a flash to take the hit. Curled over Thesa''s prone body, she was hit several times in the back and collapsed on Thesa''s chest. Inches from Thesa''s ear, Merijest cursed again in that mysterious language. She whispered to Thesa, ¡°close your eyes and cover your ears. Don''t stop until you feel my hand on your skin.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. When Thesa felt the demoness''s hand (claws retracted) touch the nape of her neck, she opened her eyes. The entire adventuring party was gone. ¡°What did you do to them?¡± Thesa asked, a little afraid. Merijest, who was still atop Thesa¡¯s chest, managed something like a shrug. ¡°I gave them what they expected,¡± she pointed behind Thesa at the Hundred-Legged Snake. Even craning her neck with the bad angle, Thesa could see it now that the creature had clearly had [Embiggen] cast on it and was also blatantly digesting six adventurers. ¡°Wait, I thought you were casting some terrible dark spell that caused anyone who heard it to, I don''t know, get eaten by the walls or dragged to a [Hell Domain]. Why did I need to close my eyes and cover my ears?¡± Thesa asked. She had to actively stop her mind from wandering to the tickle of Merijest¡¯s plumage against her neck and the soft look of the demoness¡¯s blue cheeks. ¡°I just thought it would gross you out,¡± Merijest smirked. But Merijest''s demeanor faltered as she started to pull herself up. She yelped in pain and fell back onto Thesa''s chest. ¡°Are you ok?¡± Thesa asked. Repressing however the¡­impact made her feel, she suddenly remembered the hit Merijest had taken for her. She leaned forward enough to see heavy bruising under the skin and scales of the demoness¡¯s back as well as some on the base of her wings. ¡°I''m fine,¡± Merijest said weakly. ¡°I''ll need to cast a healing hex on it. But I guess I can just stay where I am until that''s done.¡± Merijest made a gesture with her hand and a purple glow emerged on the top of her spine where the largest bruise began, slowly but surely, to shrink. ¡°We keep killing people,¡± Thesa said, frowning. ¡°People die,¡± Merijest said. Her voice was strained through winces of pain as the contusions continued to heal. ¡°As my [Familiar], I have a responsibility to manage your safety whenever possible.¡± Thesa looked at the demoness laying on her chest. This was the second time her life had been saved by Merijest. Not only that, Thesa was realizing more and more of the things she thought she knew about Merijest were more fiction than anything. ¡°What exactly is your goal?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°What¡¯s your army for?¡± Merijest considered the question. ¡°The plan is to break into Beautuk¡¯s realm and liberate those trapped within.¡± She sounded genuine at least. ¡°Including, of course, your mother.¡± Thesa nodded solemnly. Still some incredulity crept into her next question ¡°Does that include challenging him directly?¡± As far as Thesa had been taught, Beautuk was unkillable and unbeatable. Even if his might had been exaggerated, it was nothing to scoff at. ¡°Beautuk has had hundreds of years to grow in power,¡± Merijest said. She started to shrug, but stopped with a wince. ¡°A direct challenge in the near future would be suicide.¡± Satisfied with the demoness¡¯s reasonable-sounding goals, Thesa thought about how much she had struggled in the past two battles without a real Class. Leveling up as a [Fighter] would be a slow process with eventual gains in combat prowess, but there was always another option to get a few basic abilities right now. ¡°Merijest,¡± Thesa said, swallowing her trepidation. ¡°I think I would like to become your [Witch].¡± Merijest smiled. ¡°I was hoping you''d ask.¡± 8. Power / Bravado ¡°To be clear,¡± Thesa said, looking away from Merijest and hedging her previous statement about becoming a [Witch]. ¡°This would just be temporary until I can put enough [Experience] toward [Fighter] to gain some useful perks. I just think having more spells and stuff might be useful right now.¡± When Thesa turned back, Merijest had a big grin on her face. Her canine sharp teeth inches from Thesa''s neck. For a moment, Thesa felt true terror. But she saw Merijest¡¯s ruby red irises framed by soft eyes and the fear melted away. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± Merijest said, now trying (and failing) to suppress her smile. Slowly, Thesa nodded. ¡°It¡¯s getting kind of hard to ignore how much you''ve been looking out for me since you revived me. And I''d like to be more than a dead weight¡± ¡°In that case, we should go over some things,¡± Merijest said. ¡°At first Level, you do not need to make very many hard and fast decisions, but we should review the nature of our relationship as we craft our [Bond].¡± Thesa swallowed. ¡°What exactly were you thinking?¡± ¡°We just need to decide what goes into the contract,¡± Merijest said as she flicked her wrist and summoned a sheet of parchment and a quill. ¡°Of course, we can agree to amend or abridge the agreement at any point. It will just require a review of the paperwork. ¡°The nature of our [Bond] is that I will act as your [Stake]. I agree to let you continue siphoning magic from my [Half-Life Revival] spell in addition to a number of spells and additional boons in accordance with your Level in the [Witch] Class. ¡°In exchange, you agree to continue helping me to regrow my army, particularly with regard to sapient followers. ¡°You will also need to adhere to a few tenets related to my domain as a [Deity] of death. First and foremost, protect the dead. This means intervening in attempts to permanently derail the cycle of death.¡± ¡°How does that work with me being undead and all?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Raising a corpse here and there is usually fine,¡± Merijest explained. ¡°Necromancy is all about an honest agreement with the one being raised.¡± Thesa had never heard necromancy described so casually. ¡°And besides, necromancy is always temporary. When the caster dies, all once-raised return to death,¡± the demoness continued. Thesa¡¯s stomach gurgled quietly, not for hunger, but for the realization that she was no longer on the ¡®eternity in Beautuk¡¯s realm¡¯ track¡­ ¡°The other tenets are that you must reject illegitimate authority. That¡¯s related to my alignment. And finally keep secret the Dead Tongue,¡± Merijest concluded. ¡°What¡¯s the ¡®Dead Tongue¡¯?¡± Thesa asked. Was it that language she¡¯d heard Merijest mutter a few times? ¡°It''s like a secret necromantic language,¡± Merijest shrugged. ¡°I can teach that to you at some point but it''s not really a priority for now. It''s more useful at higher levels when you¡¯re trying to get the most out of your Class features.¡± Thesa thought it over as she read and reread the contract. She asked, ¡°Can a [Witch]¡¯s contract just be anything?¡± ¡°Sure. Business deals, name changes, marriage contracts. Like I said, some things are sort of required because of particular alignment and domain, but otherwise it''s all fair game.¡± Merijest shrugged. ¡°And who enforces the contract?¡± Thesa asked. She pictured a magical court for adjudicating [Bond] disagreements. ¡°The contract enforces itself through its own magic. Technically, a bit of blood and [Mana] from each of us is siphoned into the agreement, creating a Legal Construct. You can''t usually see them, but basically if one of us stepped out of line it would hurt,¡± Merijest said. Thesa reviewed the contract a hundred more times. She paced the room, tracing her fingers on the strange wallpaper patterns. She felt jittery. This was a big decision. ¡°If you change your mind and decide you''re not comfortable with it, we can just go back to our informal connection. You would lose the perks, but I won''t retract the [Half-Life Revival] as long as you are still willing to fulfill your end.¡± Thesa nodded. ¡°Can we put that in?¡± Merijest shrugged, flicked her wrist again, and the magic quill made an addition. Thesa and Merijest signed the contract. The magic quill pricked Merijests thumb, then Thesa''s. Two droplets of blood (Thesa''s red, Merijest''s blue like the night-sky) floated into the air between them. The droplets met and swirled into a bubblegum pink and then sank into the parchment of the contract. The parchment crumpled on itself until it was no longer visible. ¡°Now, the main boons I can grant you at this Level are a [Bound Weapon], a [Minor Familiar], a basic healing spell called [Minor Aid], and a [Curse]. However, I can only grant two of the four options,¡± Merijest explained. Her power had been diminished by the destruction of her previous army. The [Minor Familiar] was a no-go. Thesa already thought their party had too many weird little guys in it. She didn''t need to conjure another. She really did not want to take the [Curse] and for a moment, Thesa felt a twinge of guilt that she was still so reticent to accept some things about her [Stake]. Rationalizing, she decided that a [Bound Weapon] would let her shine more in combat. It could be summoned and dismissed at will and did not run the risk of being wrenched away by an opponent. [Minor Aid] would make her more useful if Merijest was hurt again. Part of her thought she would have gone with those options anyway, so why did she feel guilty? If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Merijest nodded at Thesa''s choices and directed Thesa to summon her [Bound Weapon]. ¡°The shape of the weapon is beyond either of our choosing.¡± Thesa put out her dominant hand while she searched inside herself for the new well of power that would let her summon a weapon. She imagined an ornate sword, something like the holy blade she had wielded for Beautuk, but with different design motifs. Instead, a swirl of shadowy feathers swarmed and solidified into the shape of a gleaming, maroon halberd. The blade at the end of her new polearm resembled a spade in a deck of cards, or the point at the end of the demoness''s tail. The weapon''s resemblance to Merijest''s tail actually made Thesa smile. The design displayed a clear connection to her [Stake]. Merijest looked excited too. Her actual tail was slowly swinging back and forth and when she approached her new [Witch] to ¡®get a closer look,¡¯ her tail absent-mindedly wrapped around Thesa''s torso. Thesa¡¯s heart leapt and so did her feet as she scrambled away from Merijest, blushing and mumbling something about needing to get a move on. Merijest sighed, but her cheeks, too, had been dabbed with a dash of pink. ***
Legal Construct Rank: A Attacks: Judgment Notes: Legal Constructs can reference one another but without caution will quickly become unyielding and colossal in power.
*** Thesa was almost disappointed that the next [Floor] lacked an obvious use-case for her new abilities. It wasn''t that she enjoyed combat, but she needed to get some experience using a halberd. The longer she waited to try it out, the more the prospect of combat would simmer with anticipation and anxiety. Instead, the next [Floor] was a single square room with a stairwell on either side. The room itself was completely covered in a soft green moss from floor to ceiling. A one foot-wide circle in the center of the room was uncovered, revealing a wooden floor beneath. Neither Thesa nor Merijest (nor even Merijest''s growing list of non-sapient [Familiars]) made the mistake of stepping into the room. ¡°I don''t remember this [Floor] from my way down,¡± Thesa said. ¡°Is there another part of the [Floor] that''s disconnected from here?¡± ¡°Imitative Caverns often rearrange while nobody is looking,¡± Merijest explained. ¡°The lower [Floors] are less likely to have changed because it takes more energy, but as we ascend there will be less and less to recognize.¡± Merijest took a loose black feather from her neck, reached it over the moss floor, and dropped it. Slowly. It drifted. Until. Landing. The feather receded into the moss as if swallowed. Merijest brought her hands together and cast [Freezing Breath] in a line across the floor, revealing a stone floor beneath the moss. The wooden disk in the center of the room was set into the stone like a manhole cover, possibly hiding something beneath. The moss quickly stretched and expanded back over the gap (not including the wooden disk), but with reasonable timing, they could get across. ¡°What do you think is under that disk?¡± Merijest asked. ¡°You''re asking me?¡± Thesa replied. ¡°How am I supposed to know this one? It¡¯s a brand new [Floor] I''ve never seen before,¡± Merijest said. ¡°I guess I would assume it''s either treasure or a bonus trap.¡± Thesa speculated. ¡°Like, maybe the root of the moss is under there ready to spring a mouth of razor-blade tongues on whoever uncovers it.¡± ¡°Sometimes your imagination scares me, and I''m a [High Devil]¡­¡± ¡°At the Convent, they told us to expect the worst in every dungeon,¡± Thesa shrugged. ¡°In case you''re onto something, let''s not have the Three-Eyed Grackle or Chimerblin pick it up,¡± Merijest concluded. After some more deliberation, they decided to get across the room first. Then, they could look for a way to lift the wooden disk from a safe distance. The Three-Eyed Grackle was able to glide across without issue. The Chimerblin, being larger and having a longer wingspan, was less graceful. Its wings fluttered, never fully extending for more than a moment as it made its way through. Thesa was tasked with carrying the Cow-Dog across right after Merijest finished her spell. The big pup panted and scrambled in her arms as if it were so excited to be held that it couldn¡¯t contain itself from nearly sabotaging Thesa¡¯s grip. Merijest counted down, ¡°three¡­two¡­One!¡± With another ray of cold energy, a path was drawn across the moss. Thesa made it across with the clambering Cow-Dog and Merijest followed close behind, contracting her wings to avoid any accidental contact. Looking back at the wooden disk, Thesa realized she could use her new powers here after all. She reached out a hand to summon her halberd in another swirl of feathers and darkness. Holding the halberd from the very end of the handle, she could almost reach the disk. She would need to lean a bit more and that required a counterweight. ¡°Merijest, can you grab my arm?¡± she asked, and the [High Devil] followed. Each gripped the other''s forearm with their hand as Thesa leaned out. With her new reach, she slid the blade of the halberd into the small gap between the wooden disk and the stone floor. Then she pulled the handle downward as a lever. It wasn''t a very efficient lever, but the disk was not very heavy anyways. The wooden disk lifted up enough that Thesa could move the halberd deeper under it and get enough leverage to flip it on the moss where it swiftly sank out of existence. In the hole was a small treasure chest. The halberd would not be able to move the chest out of the hole, but that was for the best. At the slightest poke with Thesa''s weapon, the chest sprang to life, revealing the trademark array of fleshy human-like hands reaching up to trap a naive adventurer. ***
Mimic Rank: C Attacks: Seize Notes: Has six unique mouths inside and you do not want to see any of them.
*** As Merijest pulled her out of her leaning position, Thesa said, ¡°the Convent implored us to poke every chest with a long stick before approaching. They frequently used [Conjure Image] to show us the slow, gulping swallow of a mimic.¡± She was feeling a little brash for her smart and successful maneuver. Then realizing how close her upright position was to Merijest, Thesa started to shuffle backward. ¡°Watch out for the Hundred-Legged Snake.¡± ¡°The wha¨C¡± Thesa looked down to see the Hundred-Legged Snake, which had apparently hitched a ride on Merijest''s back, crawling right behind her leg. Thesa stumbled and nearly fell right into the moss but for Merijest''s quick reflexes. The demoness lifted Thesa like she was weightless, placed her on the floor nearer the stairs, and put herself in between Thesa and the Hundred-Legged Snake. 9. Memory / Trauma ¡°I haven¡¯t seen my actual reflection in a while,¡± Thesa said. She was leaning over a pond. The water was still and perfectly clear. At the bottom, a single tumble of kelp was tangled around a rock. The still water wasn''t good for drinking straight, but it was beautiful in its simplicity all the same. The relaxed scene was welcome to Thesa, but she couldn¡¯t help worrying that she had yet to see combat as a [Witch]. Just accepting the [Witch] class had been a big decision, but with Thesa relying on more and more of the demoness¡¯s magic power, she was entangled by a desire to be more useful. What if Merijest decided the investment wasn¡¯t worth it? Merijest had filled a pot and cast [Purify]. She refilled her own waterskin as well as Thesa''s. Then she had prepped a second pot of water for herself and Thesa to bathe. (Merijest bathed naked just as she did everything else. Thesa only stripped down to her tank top and shorts.) Her blonde hair was a tangled mess of dirt and crusted blood. She had a scar on her chin that might have been from a fight, but she didn¡¯t remember getting it. It surprised her over and over again to remember she was undead now. Despite the changes, that was her. Still her dark freckles and hazel eyes. ¡°I never bother with mirrors,¡± Merijest said, lying on the ground with her arms behind her head. Her hair was messy in a sexy self-assured way and she had a grin that Thesa could not place. ¡°That confident, huh?¡± Thesa asked. She meant it as a genuine question. When she looked back, the demoness was making a new face, like discomfort. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Merijest said, color draining from cobalt cheeks. After a beat of awkward silence, she deflected, ¡°What was your childhood like?¡± ¡°My childhood?¡± Thesa said. ¡°Where did that come from?¡± ¡°I was just thinking that I don¡¯t know much about my new [Witch],¡± Merijest shrugged. In truth, she was just trying to change the subject. ¡°I can come up with a better question if you give me a minute.¡± Thesa noticed Merijest¡¯s lips curl up just a twinge as she said ¡®[Witch].¡¯ Should she be flattered or frightened at her patron¡¯s new attitude? ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± said Thesa. She looked back at the water. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know what to compare it to. I guess I did normal things. Like being driven from my home by [Evil] monsters or joining a small order of religious warriors. What else is there to tell?¡± There was not a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Thesa truly believed there was nothing special about either of those things. ¡°I don¡¯t think either of those are strictly speaking ¡®normal,¡¯¡± Merijest said. She sat up and started petting the Chimerblin behind its feline ear. ¡°Why join the Knights?¡± Thesa hesitated, then said, ¡°It¡¯s kind of a long story.¡± Merijest nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve got a captive audience, but it''s your choice.¡± ¡°I guess it would be good to talk about it with someone besides [Archknight Superior],¡± said Thesa. ¡°It started when my mom and I had to flee a hoard of monsters.¡± Thesa had intended to stay out of some of the details, but once she started talking she found she couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°I was supposed to get my first level in [Farmer] that day, but¨CI didn¡¯t. My mom, she carried me a lot of the way because I couldn¡¯t keep up. She was strong. My mom was strong. But we got lost,¡± Thesa said. Part of her wanted to stop, but it was like if you put one little hole in a dam and the whole thing broke open. ¡°We were in the wilderness and we didn¡¯t have a lot of food and¡­ I think she was lying about how much she ate. She was giving it all to me, you know? ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m¨CI¡¯m not supposed to think about the sad parts. It was good. It was a good miracle. It was good.¡± And still the words tumbled from her mouth like lava from a volcano. And she wondered if the face in the reflection was really hers and she closed her eyes but she. Kept. On. Talking. ¡°Not supposed to think about the sad parts?¡± Merijest looked over, confused but empathetic. ¡°[Archknight Superior] said I get too sad when I do,¡± Thesa said. Her heart was a meteor, hurtling and buckling through the atmosphere. ¡°The Convent was the first sign of civilization we came across. By the time we got to the door, my mom was too weak to live. She¡­ we were too¡­we were too¨C¡± Thesa breathed in big gasps but her lungs were not getting the air. Where was the air going? ¡°When the Knights opened the door, I performed a¡­a miracle. I cast [Holy Deliverance] without even trying. I¡­ They told me I saved her.¡± And as she spoke, she realized, ¡°But that wasn¡¯t true. That wasn¡¯t¨C¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. How were they ever going to save anyone from Beautuk¡¯s realm? Staring at the water, she tried to remember her mother¡¯s face. She tried to remember what parts of her looked like her mother. Why was she so bad at remembering faces? What kind of a useless, useless, useless¨C Her thoughts spiraled on and on. No, she thought, I do remember things. And she replayed it all again just to prove to herself she wasn¡¯t bad. From a thousand miles away, Merijest asked, ¡°Are you ok?¡± Thesa was bouncing between traumatic memories and intrusive self-accusations. She kept trying to say things, but the words were wrong. Why would she say it like that? And so she added another thought spiral into the rotation. She couldn¡¯t speak because she couldn¡¯t stop thinking. Merijest¡¯s arms wrapped around Thesa¡¯s torso. Still a thousand miles away, but warm. Thesa swallowed and leaned back. Without saying anything, she drifted into Merijest¡¯s embrace. She was still crying. She was still shaking. She still couldn¡¯t speak. Merijest gently moved Thesa from a tense, leaning position, one wrong move from falling into the water. Thesa let the demoness lead her so they were both lying on the ground. For just a moment, Thesa¡¯s thoughts drifted to something stupid and silly and embarrassing. She didn¡¯t jolt back to reality. But the thought became a thread reaching across the chasm of reality to wherever Thesa was floating. Another, stronger thread followed. ¡°I¡¯m safe,¡± said the thread. Even in her dissociative incredulity, she couldn¡¯t discount the thread completely. Minute after minute, her thoughts continued to spiral. But they dulled. Each spiral less sharp than the last. And she floated, so far away from everything. As she slowly drifted closer and closer to the present, some part of her told her she needed a distraction. She needed to think about anything else. Just long enough to find her legs. And her arms. And her head. ¡°What¡­about¡­you?¡± She managed to puff the words out with a weak laugh as she continued to cry. ¡°Does a demoness¡­even have¡­a childhood?¡± Merijest hesitated, but chuckled. ¡°Yes, even I was a kid once.¡± Thesa took a deep breath. Her body was exhausted and dehydrated like she¡¯d just been in a battle. But she was motivated to learn more of Merijest¡¯s backstory. She rolled over enough to see face-to-face. ¡°What was that¡­like? Do little demons get¡­up to a lot of trouble?¡± Merijest forced a polite chuckle. ¡°Well, uh¡­¡± Now it was the demoness¡¯s turn to go speechless. ¡°It wasn¡¯t¡­I mean I wasn¡¯t¡­¡± The demoness¡¯s white pupils grew in size, eclipsing her obsidian sclera. Thesa wasn¡¯t always good at noticing minor details in other people¡¯s expressions, but their faces were only inches apart. She could see the discomfort in Merijest¡¯s face. The same kind she had seen when she asked about her reflection. ¡°Wait,¡± Thesa said. A protective instinct finally snapped her back into herself. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m trying to distract you,¡± Merijest said. She laughed although her face was still tight. ¡°And also you stop trying to take care of me! I¡¯m the [High Devil] and you are my [Witch] and my [Familiar]. It¡¯s my job to take care of you.¡± Thesa shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk seriously anyways,¡± she said. Thesa wasn¡¯t about to admit that the silly thought that first reached her was about Merijest¡¯s boobs against her back¡­but she could tell she needed some light conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s think about Let me think of a different question. Um, have you actually read all those spell books you showed me?¡± ¡°Honestly, I skim them and pick out spells that sound interesting,¡± Merijest shrugged. ¡°For a while I copied the good ones into a Grimoire, but I don¡¯t need that anymore.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the weirdest spell you know?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Probably [Silent Sneeze].¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s a spell?¡± Thesa said. ¡°I guess I just assumed all your spells would be [Evil] since you¡¯re, well¡­¡± Thesa said. Merijest looked genuinely confused. ¡°What do you think [Evil] means?¡± ¡°I thought [Evil] meant like demons and devils and hell. Is that not right?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Did they teach you that at the Convent?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember it being said out loud, but I guess that was the idea I got,¡± Thesa said. ¡°What does it mean?¡± ¡°[Evil] just means like, anyone opposed to your goals. [Good] just means anyone who supports your goals,¡± Merijest explained. ¡°That sounds more like a philosophy than a fact,¡± Thesa said. ¡°No, seriously. That is how the [System] uses the term. I have spells that talk about having an effect on [Evil] targets. That¡¯s just how the [System] labels things,¡± Merijest started to laugh. ¡°But isn¡¯t that kind of biased? That¡¯s a very particular way of seeing things,¡± Thesa wondered. ¡°Kitten, where did you get the idea that the [System] was unbiased?¡± Merijest said. ¡°What¡¯s unbiased about labeling every devil and every demon as [Evil]?¡± Thesa didn¡¯t say anything. She hoped to look busy pondering (and she did need to ponder them), but mainly she was trying to figure out if Merijest was one of those people who just calls others ¡®kitten¡¯ sometimes or if there was more to read into. She thought maybe her exhaustion would hide this train of thought. (It did not. Merijest could tell.) ¡°How about you get some rest,¡± Merijest said. She snapped her fingers and a waterskin levitated over to her hand. ¡°Have some water first, though¡± They fell asleep together. 10. Stupid / Brave Thesa woke up in the early morning. Another weird dream she couldn¡¯t remember. She felt more awake than she should for how early it was. Suddenly she did have the wherewithal to realize that Merijest''s boobs had been pressed against her back all night¡­ Luckily, by the time she woke up, Merijest had already moved. After a brief moment of privately suppressing her bodily urges, Thesa looked around. Merijest had rolled onto her back. Her blue stomach and¡­chest exposed to the world as always. In that moment, Thesa felt a stirring in her chest. She wondered if it was some side-effect of being undead. She was surprised at just how much she wanted to remain there lying beside the demoness¡­ Then Thesa realized the monsters creatures non-sapient [Familiars] were gone. The Cow-Dog and the Chimerblin were nowhere to be seen. The Three-Eyed Grackle hadn''t crowed at the first sign of morning, and the Hundred-Legged Snake hadn''t¨C actually the Hundred-Legged Snake was off in the corner doing its creepy little thing. But the rest were still gone! Thesa still wasn''t sold on the monster petting zoo Merijest was amassing, but a sudden mass disappearance was concerning. I should wake her up, Thesa thought, but wait! Maybe they just wandered out of the room or something. I don''t want Merijest to worry. Besides¡­it is sort of my fault. I freaked out yesterday and Merijest was so busy helping me that she forgot to put up her warding circle-thingy that she usually does. Probably I can do this myself and prove my worth as a party member. The room with the pond had two exits, so Thesa checked the attached corridors with no luck. Everything was so quiet. It was too easy to hear her inner voice. Merijest¡¯s distractions had helped her out of her thought spiral the night before, but it was first aid on a major injury. The wound, the source of the harmful symptoms, remained. If my whole life up until now was just messing me up, she thought, then how am I ever supposed to be ok? She tried to focus. Maybe there was an obvious explanation of the missing [Familiars] that she wasn''t seeing because she was so distracted. She went to the pond to splash water on her face. The water. It rippled. Fuck¡­ The tangle of algae and rock she had seen before was unfurled to reveal six strands of kelp, each ending in a horse''s head. They were like floppy, underwater, carnivorous hobby horses. And the missing [Familiars] were being dragged into its underwater den. ¡°Merijest!¡± Thesa shook the demoness awake. ¡°A Kelpie! It has them!¡± Merijest opened her eyes to see Thesa summon her halberd and (hastened by her ruminations) dive headfirst into the water. ***
Kelpie Rank: B Attacks: Bite, Entangle Notes: A distant relative of the hydra, the Kelpie patiently waits. A Kelpie only strikes when its prey lets its guard down.
*** The sensations of being underwater were similar to most of Thesa''s dreams. Dulled and hazy. Her hearing was muted by the suction of the water. Her vision blurry. Her body floating but heavy and slow. She could just barely see a blurry shape that was probably the Cow-Dog. Thesa kicked her legs behind her, drifting slowly against the drag created by her tank top. She approached the struggling creature and the aggressive equine head clamped onto its hind leg. If she grabbed the kelp-like neck, the head would probably let the Cow-Dog alone. But that was because it would turn toward her and she wasn''t confident enough in her ability to cut it before it could grab her by the hair. Swinging the spade of her halberd against the resistance of the pond water was out of the question, but she could manage a slow stab. The Cow-Dog was still struggling, which was a good sign. Thesa stabbed at the Kelpie''s neck, hoping to split the kelp-like structure. She missed. She pulled back her arm and stabbed again. A hit! The Kelpie''s head remained clamped on and twitching but the Cow-Dog quickly scrambled to the surface of the water. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Thesa started to wonder why she wasn''t running out of air. Possibly Merijest had cast [Lung Capacity] on her from above, but there wasn''t time to ponder. Her chest stirred again at the thought of the demoness¡¯s support (although Thesa hadn¡¯t realized that was why and anyways there was no time for that now). She looked around and saw another blur of movement. She kicked toward it. The Kelpie''s neck was coiled around its wings and torso. The horse mouth was chomping toward the Chimerblin''s kicking claws, looking for a place to bite into. The chaos of kicking and biting made Thesa''s approach dangerous, so she looked further down the kelp-like neck. If she got too close to the base, the Kelpie''s other heads would spring toward her. Kelpie''s prefer to keep a few heads on reserve to defend their weakest point. Because the Kelpie''s neck was in a knot around the Chimerblin, Thesa aimed a little below the knot, just out of reach of the kicking legs. She grabbed the neck with two hands and pulled it apart with all her might. The neck snapped and the head went limp. A rope snaked through the water from above, looped around the restrained Chimerblin, and pulled it toward the surface. Thesa looked around for the Three-Eyed Grackle, but as a smaller creature it was difficult to locate. She kicked in the direction she thought she''d seen it from above, but didn''t see a thing. None of the Kelpie''s heads were extended very far from the core. She kicked downward, closer to the tangle. There, trapped and motionless, was the Three-Eyed Grackle. Two Kelpie heads began ripping the dead bird apart for food even as Thesa wrapped a hand around the bird¡¯s head. Before she could get another hand on the creature¡¯s corpse, one final rope snaked down from above and wrapped around Thesa''s torso, pulling her to the surface with only the skull of the Three-Eyed Grackle. *** On the surface, Thesa and the other surviving [Familiars] sat by a warm fire. Merijest, who had been commanding the ropes by magic, now cast a cold spell over the surface of the water, creating a thick boundary of ice across the whole pond. ¡°It won''t hurt the Kelpie,¡± Merijest said as she joined the ring around the fire. Periodically, the Cow-Dog stood up, shook off some water, then returned to lying down. The Chimerblin laid on its back, licking its fur. When it had first breached the surface, the creature had the most pathetic look on its tiger-like face. Merijest was still facing the pond. ¡°I can''t revive it. The sigil I gave it must have already cast a [Half-Life Revival] on it before we even knew what was happening.¡± ¡°I''m sorry about your [Familiar],¡± Thesa said. She held out the Three-Eyed Grackle¡¯s skull. ¡°Should we try to kill the Kelpie?¡± This was Thesa trying to make Merijest feel better. ¡°It''s an animal. It needs to eat. I bear no ill will towards it,¡± Merijest replied with a shrug as she lifted the skull from Thesa¡¯s hand. Thesa tried to say something about how much Merijest cared about her non-sapient [Familiars]. She really, truly meant it as a compliment. However, because of the¡­everything about her¡­it came out as, ¡°you''re so much more forgiving of monsters than people.¡± Thesa did not realize this was a weird way to say it. ¡°Well ¡®monsters¡¯ have always been more forgiving to me than people,¡± Merijest shot back. ¡°Wait! That''s not what I meant, um¡­¡± Thesa racked her brain trying to rearrange the words to reflect what she actually meant. ¡°I meant it as a good thing, kind of.¡± Thesa tried copying Merijest''s actions from the night before, wrapping her arms around the demoness¡¯s adorable tummy torso. However, she had forgotten she was still soaked in pond water. Luckily this made Merijest laugh. As the demoness shook her head, she turned around and looked at Thesa¡¯s long hair, tank top, and shorts all dripping water.¡°You know your clothes would probably dry faster if you took them off.¡± This had the desired effect of causing Thesa to turn bright red, jump back, and start mumbling something about staying ready in case of¡­something? Merijest smiled at her dopey, amusing [Witch] who had very stupidly leapt straight into the water with a Kelpie to save her [Familiars]. She enjoyed Thesa¡¯s freckles and earnest face. For just a second she felt a seed of hope in her stomach. As day turned to night, Merijest prepared a brief ceremony for the Three-Eyed Grackle. Thesa wasn¡¯t sure what death rituals would look like without [Holy Deliverance], so she started looking around for a box or something. Merijest, however, was something of an expert on the subject of death¡­ With a canine tooth, the demoness bit the palm of her hand. Her mouth remained over the wound, allowing saliva and night-sky blue blood to mingle. Into a handful of dirt, she worked the mixture until it was clay. At some point, Thesa had just started digging a small hole, still unsure if it was necessary. Merijest pressed skull into clay, folding it in so they were completely enveloped. She placed the embalmed lump into the hole Thesa had created. Then she replaced and packed the loose dirt. With both claws resting atop the fresh grave, Merijest muttered something in the Dead Tongue. Thesa and Merijest sat beside the fire along with the Chimerblin and Cow-Dog. The demoness regaled her [Familiars] with anecdotes about the Three-Eyed Grackle. They had all been there and Thesa was the only one who could understand spoken language, but it was necessary. Overnight, something sprouted and blossomed atop the grave. A scaly stem like an avian leg was planted, stationary, in the dirt, black feathers positioned like petals around a single eye. A new species of creature in the shape of a plant with the building blocks of a bird. It would propagate here in the dungeon. "Is that..." Thesa hesitated. "Is that the Three-Eyed Grackle?" "No. It is something new," Merijest replied. "Death always begets." ***
Grackle Lily Rank: D Attacks: Psychic Poison Notes: Grotesque and beautiful, the stationary Grackle Lilies spread quickly and exude a powerful mind-virus.
11. Commerce / Gossip 11. Commerce / Gossip On [Floor] 69, Merijest spent the whole time giggling for reasons Thesa couldn''t figure out. On [Floor] 68, they found a [Dungeon Merchant]. Like any [Dungeon Merchant], he could gain express access to any [Floor] as long as he did not attack anyone. (There was an exception for if someone tried to steal from the merchant, but basically nobody did that because the merchant in question would receive a huge, permanent buff to attacks against the specific thief.) For a moment, Thesa worried they might need to hide from the mammoth-kin shopkeeper, but Merijest assured her that a [Dungeon Merchant]¡¯s nonviolence would apply to even a [High Devil]. ¡°You should never trust a [Dungeon Merchant] too much, but you''d be surprised how often they have a better relationship with us ne''er-do-wells in the depths than with the average adventurer from the surface,¡± Merijest explained. They were standing right outside the chamber, whispering. ¡°For one thing, we''re usually the only ones with enough power to potentially take them out. Not to mention, random adventurers usually have way less gold than a dragon¡¯s hoard.¡± ¡°Wait, are you a dragon?¡± Thesa asked. She looked the demoness up and down. Her claws and maroon leg-scales supported the idea, but the black, feathered wings seemed out of place for a dragon. ¡°It''s a metaphor, kitten.¡± Suddenly Thesa was too distracted to say anything. Her fingers and toes were numb with an excitement that she was struggling to squash. *** ¡°Welcome!¡± The shopkeeper beckoned as Thesa and Merijest emerged into the chamber. A wide blanket acted like the rug of the shop with various items on small carts and trolleys. Thesa was quickly taken by a table of useless knick-knacks. Merijest, however, did want something. [Dungeon Merchants] were one of the best ways for her to find out about things outside of the [Dungeon]. ¡°Care to see my wares, lady Merijest? I¡¯ve got potions, armor, and an assortment of reading materials if you just want the usual?¡± The shopkeeper gestured to a small shelf of books with titles like Reincarnated as a Human Woman in a World Without Magic?!, My Harpy Girlfriend, or Does Falling in Love with My Arch Nemesis at Mage School Make Me a Lesbian?, some of which would have made Thesa fall over if she¡¯d noticed them. Merijest laughed. ¡°Not looking for reading material today, Lenum. What I¡¯m most interested in right now, is information.¡± ¡°Ah yes, the most valuable commodity and yet impossible to put a price on,¡± Lenum, the mammoth-kin shopkeeper said, scratching his chin with his trunk. ¡°What sort of information were you in the market for?¡± ¡°Just some basic news from up-top,¡± Merijest sighed. ¡°I want to know if there¡¯s been any discussion of Beautuk or the Convent of Knights.¡± She kept her voice low. No reason to rouse Thesa¡¯s concerns. ¡°Tell you what,¡± the shopkeeper said. ¡°I''ll tell you the basics for free but if you want more it''ll cost ya. Everyone can tell Beautuk is mad about something and it looks like the Knights are going to do something big. I can tell you why Beautuk is mad, and I even have some more about what the Knights are doing, but you gotta make it worth my while.¡± Merijest nodded. ¡°Pretty sure I know what pissed him off, but I''ll give you some gold for more about the Knights.¡± The two haggled over the exact amount before coming to an agreement. ¡°I was on one of the upper [Floors] yesterday. 32 to be exact, and I saw a party of three Knights making their way down this very [Dungeon].¡± Three Knights? Is that normal? ¡°Do you have anything else? Looks? Names?¡± Merijest urged. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°They were all in full regalia, helmets and all, but one of ¡®em was real tall.¡± The shopkeeper said. ¡°Only caught one name. Toress Kelreyn.¡± Merijest nodded. She would need to break this to Thesa. ¡°Thanks, Lenum.¡± ¡°Not a problem, ma''am,¡± Lenum replied. ¡°Now are you sure you don''t want any other wares? I''m rarely in the same place for long.¡± She bought some new armor for Thesa. Nothing terribly special. The ¡®dragon¡¯s hoard¡¯ she''d alluded to earlier wasn''t actually very big¡­ Merijest approached her [Witch], who had been staring at an ¡®ever-spinning top¡¯ for the past few minutes. ¡°Thesa,¡± Merijest said. ¡°Take that off.¡± Thesa nearly jumped clear out of her own skin. As she spun around, her flailing arms nearly knocked the whole display over. ¡°Take¨Cdo what? What?¡± Thesa looked around frantically like she''d been caught commiting a crime. ¡°I got you some new armor,¡± the demoness clarified. ¡°Take off the mythril chainmail so we can sell it.¡± The new armor was a violet breastplate with white detailing. In addition to a defense buff, the armor came with a low level enchantment that could cast [Back Up] once per day on the first enemy to strike her, unleashing a burst of magic wind to move the attacked back a few yards. *** A few chambers later, they made camp for the night. Thesa cleaned her new armor. It was shiny and she wanted to keep it that way as long as possible. ¡°Merijest, can I ask you a question?¡± Thesa suddenly asked. Merijest looked up. She was in the middle of laying her protective hexes. ¡°A question?¡± Merijest stood tall. Thesa¡¯s cheeks burned. ¡°I¨Cuh¨C was just wondering why you don¡¯t¡­um¡­wear armor?¡± ¡°You want to know why I¡¯m naked?¡± Merijest replied with a grin. ¡°I just¡­uh¡­¡± Thesa¡¯s head was about to go into meltdown. Of course she wanted to know that! She¡¯d wanted to ask this entire time! She thought she found the perfect way to get her answer without the impropriety of it all¡­ ¡°Cute.¡± Merijest said, devastatingly. ¡°I¡¯d hardly be a demoness if I complied with human standards of dress. I have other things to worry about. It¡¯s completely casual, however. What¡¯s so objectionable about a body?¡± Smoke poured out of Thesa¡¯s ears. ¡°I don¡¯t see how it can be casual for someone so attractive to be naked¨Cuh!¡± Thesa realized what she was saying too late. Without further warning, she said ¡°I have to go!¡± and hopped up. That was when she realized there was no good place to hide. Instead, she simply buried her head in her hands. Merijest sighed. ¡°I just realized I forgot something at the shop. The warding is set. You stay here and keep an eye.¡± The demoness set off for a quick stroll. Normally, she would revel in watching Thesa squirm like that. Still, it was only right to let the girl¡¯s nerves settle before it came time to talk about that news. *** ¡°Thesa, you need to hear something,¡± Merijest said solemnly. Upon returning from her stroll, the demoness decided to cut to the chase. ¡°Um ok. What''s going on?¡± ¡°I asked the merchant if he had any news from the surface about Beautuk or the Knights,¡± Merijest said. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I don''t know if it''s anything to worry about but the main thing is that there is a party of three Knights descending the [Dungeon] as we speak.¡± Thesa was filled with astonishment, hope, and terror all at once. ¡°That''s abnormal. We train together, but usually we have to brave our own quests. Two Knights, I''ve seen that when a newbie needs a little extra support on their first quest. Three is basically unheard of.¡± Thesa¡¯s head spun. ¡°Maybe they think I need a rescue mission. Who did they send?¡± ¡°They all wore helmets. One was notably tall. Another was called Kelreyn. That''s all I know,¡± Merijest reiterated. ¡°And they were last seen yesterday on [Floor] 32.¡± Thesa was going to make an excuse about her lack of a helmet when she first met Merijest (she lost it¡­) but was quickly distracted by the rest of the demoness¡¯s words. ¡°Kelreyn! Maybe it is a rescue mission! But if the tall one was Vicaress Garteth then that would mean¡­¡± Thesa said, trailing off. ¡°Vicaress¡­Garteth?¡± ¡°¡®Vicaress¡¯ is a title used for Knights with an Eminent Class. She could also be called ¡®Sir¡¯ like the rest of us. But it would normally be considered impudent to use a title like ¡®Modess¡¯ or ¡®Toress¡¯¡± Thesa explained. ¡°Garteth is older. Doesn''t really go on quests anymore. But when she did, they called her the ¡®Executioner.¡¯ I never found out why, but¡­¡± Thesa trailed off again. Her face was grim as her thoughts danced in an ever tightening knot. ¡°I mean,¡± Thesa added, ¡°if they think I¡¯m in trouble, it would make sense to send the best of the best, right?¡± Merijest shrugged. She wasn¡¯t convinced but she could tell Thesa didn¡¯t need a factual debate right now. 12. Social / Strange When Thesa spotted a lone, turtle-kin [Fighter], she felt like she really had a chance. Maybe she would have better luck in a one-on-one conversation. Big groups were so excitable and there were too many moving parts. And she was really starting to take this seriously. She needed to practice with strangers if she wanted to have any chance of convincing Sir Kelreyn and the other two Knights descending the [Dungeon] that Merijest was not a threat. Meanwhile, Merijest and her [Familiars] stayed hidden around the corner again. ¡°Hey,¡± Thesa said, when the adventurer saw her. The turtle-kin [Fighter] looked around a few times as if to make sure Thesa was talking to them. ¡°Me?¡± They asked, gesturing toward themself. ¡°Yeah, you!¡± Thesa said, waving. ¡°I¡¯m Thesa. What¡¯s your name?¡± The chamber was decorated like a banquet hall minus any table or chairs. Ornate decor and landscape paintings littered the walls. Thesa and the [Fighter] had entered on opposite sides of the long room, so they were awkwardly far apart. ¡°Jelthul,¡± Jelthul said. Their face was saying ¡®why are you talking to me?¡¯ but Thesa never learned how to speak fluent face, so she continued on. ¡°Are you in the [Dungeon] by yourself?¡± Thesa asked. She took a few friendly steps toward Jelthul. ¡°I¡¯m on a quick scouting mission for my party. They¡¯re just two chambers back,¡± Jelthul said, taking a few unfriendly steps backward at a diagonal to get closer to the wall. ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Thesa said. ¡°I¡¯m here with my [Stake] and patron, Merijest. Have you heard of her? She might seem scary at first but she''s actually really thoughtful and cool. Wait, don''t tell her I said that!¡± ¡°Like, the [High Devil] who runs this [Dungeon]?¡± Now Jelthul¡¯s face was incredulous. ¡°Is this a [Dungeon Puzzle]?¡± ¡°What? No. Nothing like that,¡± Thesa explained. The question made her anxious. Something wasn''t getting across. ¡°I¡¯m helping Merijest rebuild her army. She needs [Familiars] and I was wondering if you might be interested.¡± With morbid curiosity, Jelthul stopped backing up. ¡°Why would I be?¡± ¡°Because¡­well because Beautuk has been secretly evil all along and we need to stop him,¡± Thesa said. She took a few steps toward the [Fighter]. ¡°No thanks,¡± Jelthul said. ¡°I don''t really believe in gods.¡± ¡°You don''t¨CHow does that even work?¡± ¡°I just don''t buy it,¡± Jelthul said, shrugging. ¡°I don''t think they''re as powerful as people say. I was raised not believing in god and that just makes sense to me.¡± ¡°But this is a big deal! There are lives at stake here if we do not stop Beautuk,¡± Thesa said. ¡°Eh, too much for me,¡± Jelthul said. ¡°I adventure. I go home. I adventure. I go home. Don¡¯t need some big quest or purpose to guide me. Thanks though.¡± Then they added, ¡°Besides, seems kinda pointless to put all your effort into a [Deity] with no followers.¡± *** ¡°How did it go?¡± Merijest asked, as Thesa returned. The demoness was sitting on a tree stump in a chamber that somehow supported a mini forest ecosystem. Inspecting a patch of maroon scales on the demoness¡¯s outstretched arm was a KangarooHawk. ¡°At least someone made progress,¡± Thesa said. ¡°I must have said something wrong again. At least this time didn''t end in a fight.¡± For a moment, Thesa¡¯s thoughts were intruded by an accusation that Merijest was doing this just to make her feel bad, but Thesa did her best to push that away. That went against everything she¡¯d seen since she died. The fact she would even think something like that frustrated her. ¡°I would call that progress,¡± Merijest said. Thesa shrugged. She was really trying and the best she''d gotten was someone not killing her. She could sit and plan, but once she got into a conversation, she felt like a flea trying to steer a dragon. Merijest spoke with a wit that Thesa just could not match. ¡°I''ve got it!¡± Thesa shouted without warning. ¡°Got what?¡± Merijest flinched. ¡°Sorry. I just. I have an idea,¡± Thesa said. ¡°What if next time I try to talk to someone, you just use your power to communicate with your [Familiars] to tell me what to say!¡± Merijest looked skeptical. ¡°You sure about that? You didn''t really like the last time I spoke with you telepathically.¡± Thesa nodded solemnly, but she was still shaking with excitement at the idea. ¡°I think I can do it.¡± Merijest knew it would be pretty difficult to talk Thesa down from the idea, so the demoness decided to go along with it. ***
KangarooHawk Rank: C Attacks: Punch, Kick, Pounce Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Notes: The KangarooHawk can nurse up two joeys at once. Joeys begin flying after about a week.
*** In a medium-sized chamber full of sand and decorated with tan stone pillars, Thesa approached a pair of adventurers. A living-stone [Ranger] and a human [Barbarian] sat resting on a hill of sand and were busy chatting. ¡°And my mom is always like ¡®if you just try being a [Wizard], you might like it,¡¯¡± the human [Barbarian] said. ¡°She wants me to go to IthorBeau Mage College. But it just isn¡¯t for me.¡± ¡°That''s rough,¡± the living-stone [Ranger] agreed. ¡°I''m sorry your mom is being like that, Vunk.¡± ¡°He-llo, I- am- Thesa,¡± Thesa said, parroting Merijest''s words in her head. ¡°Try- speaking- more - smooth - ly¡­oh.¡± Vunk, the human, looked up, confused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Should I keep going?¡± Thesa [Messaged]. ¡°No. Repeat it. They want you to say it again because they didn''t understand,¡± Merijest said. ¡°Ok, got it,¡± Thesa replied, unaware that she was taking too long to reply. ¡°Hello?¡± the living-stone [Ranger] asked. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Hello,¡± Thesa said. She looked down at her boots, picking them up and looking at her overlapping footprints in the sand. ¡°I am Thesa.¡± ¡°Hi, Thesa,¡± Vunk said, cautiously. ¡°Do you need something?¡± ¡°Say you actually want to know if they need something,¡± Merijest [Messaged]. ¡°You actually want to know if they need something,¡± Thesa said. ¡°Wait! I mean, I actually want to know if you need something.¡± ¡°Is there something you can''t tell us, Thesa?¡± the living-stone asked. ¡°Is someone making you say these things? My name is Rethor and this is Vunk. If you are in trouble we can help.¡± ¡°What should I say?¡± Thesa said aloud by accident, before [Messaging] ¡°What should I say? Merijest? Merijest?¡± Merijest''s eyes were rolling like a runaway cart down a hill. ¡°I don''t think this is working,¡± she [Messaged]. ¡°Just go with your gut.¡± Vonk and Rethor looked at one another with concern. ¡°Ok, ok, ok,¡± Thesa said. ¡°Sorry! I''m not being controlled or anything, but yes someone was telling me to say those things. Her name is Merijest and she''s a [High Devil] and I''m her [Familiar] and if you join her too, you can help her build up her army.¡± Vunk and Rethor stood up and began backing away. Their retreat started slowly because each step sank down into the hill of sand. ¡°Interesting,¡± said Vunk, who was looking around for a distraction. ¡°Tell me more.¡± ¡°Um, ok,¡± Thesa said. She thought she might be doing an alright job considering the circumstances. After all, this was the first time she could remember a stranger encouraging her to keep talking. ¡°So I don''t know if you''ve ever heard of Beautuk. I mean probably. He''s literally the namesake of the region, but he''s actually [Evil]...or I guess just evil but also [Evil]...and he needs to be stopped by the growing army of [Familiars] that Merijest is building up.¡± ¡°And that army includes you?¡± Rethor asked, realizing that keeping Thesa talking was pretty easy. ¡°Kind of, yeah.¡± Thesa said. This felt like a less painful version of what had happened when she started talking about her childhood and got trapped in a thought spiral. Sure, some scary things had happened. Some scary things were still happening. But she was so excited to talk to anybody about it all. She was excited to show people how cool Merijest was. ¡°Originally I was supposed to kill her, but she convinced me to not do that and then Beautuk struck me dead and then Merijest brought me back to life and took care of me. And then she made me her [Witch] and she''s really good at befriending creatures, but it''s my job to talk to the sapients because people usually make mean assumptions when they see a demon. Plus I have pretty high charisma.¡± With a polite smile, Vunk looked Thesa up and down. For a moment, the human [Barbarian] paused and their face relaxed ever so slightly, but Rethor nudged their arm. Vunk nodded to themself and said, ¡°Good luck with all that.¡± The pair went running out of the chamber. ¡°Sorry, kitten. This one just wasn''t meant to be,¡± Merijest [Messaged]. Thesa sighed and sat on a miniature sand dune. ¡°For a minute there I thought I was doing a good job. I was getting excited. I forget that people don''t like when I''m excited.¡± Merijest entered the chamber and approached with her gaggle of non-sapient [Familiars]. The Cow-Dog and KangarooHawk chased one another round the sandy hills. The Chimerblin simply got comfortable and laid its feline head in the sand. ¡°For what it''s worth, I liked it,¡± the demoness said. ¡°You get very passionate. That''s an attractive feature in a spokesgirl.¡± Thesa wasn''t so exhausted that her head couldn''t spin a little at some of Merijest¡¯s word choices. Merijest approached one of the sand pillars, knocked on it in a strange pattern, and a small sandstone igloo emerged from the floor. ¡°I''ve seen this type of room before,¡± she said. ¡°Let''s get some rest.¡± Thesa dreamt of fog. For a quick but memorable moment, Sir Kelreyn stood before her in new armor, a set made of oddly shaped bones.
Bonus: Titles of Address for Convent Knights Titles of Address:
Who? Called What?
Archknight Superior Abbess, Prioress, Protess, Archknight Superior
All Knights Sir
Knights with an Eminent Class Vicaress
Knights without an Eminent Class Modess, Toress
13. Shallow / Deep The next morning, the Cow-Dog and KangarooHawk lazed together outside of the sandstone shelter. Each was trying to groom the other in its own way. The Cow-Dog was sloppily licking around the KangarooHawk¡¯s ears. Meanwhile the KangarooHawk was bobbing its head into and away from the Cow-Dog¡¯s fur, searching for pests to munch on. Within the shelter, Thesa noticed she had enough [Experience] to level up her [Witch] class to level 2. She was nearly Level 3. Thesa had never realized how much experience you could get from social encounters. A class like [Fighter] couldn¡¯t really be leveled this way of course, but [Paladin] was a different story. She had just been told not to worry about that because it wasn¡¯t as much experience. Still, she needed to level faster for when they ran into Sir Kelreyn and Vicaress Garteth. The stronger she got, she told herself, the easier it would be to convince them. If not all the Knights, at least a few? At least Kelreyn? Depending on how fast the party of Knights moved, they could show up any [Floor] now. ¡°This time you have the option of a [Curse], a [Minor Familiar], or a short list of spells. Again, you only get two this time,¡± Merijest explained. She was lounging on the floor, bits of sand in her hair but there was excitement in her voice and her tail flicked about now and then. ¡°Everything but another [Bound Weapon]?¡± Thesa wondered aloud. ¡°I think you can only have one,¡± Merijest replied. ¡°And I''m not sure why you would want more when the halberd is a two-handed weapon most of the time.¡± Thesa nodded. As a new spell, she decided on [Blindfold] which would flood a space with darkness. Then she asked, ¡°Merijest, what exactly is a¡­[Curse]?¡± ¡°It''s just another kind of power,¡± Merijest said. ¡°They¡¯re abilities or um perks. I can''t remember the proper term. It¡¯s sort of like the [Blessings] you can get as a [Paladin].¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Thesa said. She realized she might still be operating on some biases from before she died. Why did she expect [Curses] to be some fucked up thing? ¡°How do those things even work, anyways?¡± ¡°They''re not powered by mana,¡± Merijest explained. The demoness started absentmindedly fluffing her feathers. ¡°but some other network of energy. I forget what it''s called. It''s related to the generic name of these things, but it was never really a focus of my studies and¨C¡± ¡°Your studies?¡± Thesa asked, tilting her head. ¡°I mean¡­¡± Merijest mumbled. Her tail immediately snapped to the floor. ¡°What studies?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°It¨Cit''s nothing,¡± Merijest said, head sinking toward her shoulders. She changed the subject. ¡°Um, if you want my advice, I think you should pick a [Curse] though. They can give you some unique abilities.¡± Thesa weighed the choice of pushing Merijest for more information or choosing her level up perks. She decided on the latter. For now. After some deliberation, Thesa took a [Curse] titled [Arrow Time]. Once a day, she could speed up her reaction time for just a few seconds. The ability could really help her out in a fight. Even if she and Merijest usually didn''t do much combat, it was good to be ready. She was eager to try out her new skill but it was still early so that would be a total waste. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. *** The party made it to the 65th [Floor] that afternoon. Apparently, this [Floor]¡¯s idea of a theme was making them wade through a foot of cold, questionable water throughout every chamber and corridor. The Cow-Dog and KangarooHawk were having too much fun splashing around while the Chimerblin was perched uncomfortably on Thesa''s shoulders, occasionally spreading its wings to maintain its own balance at the cost of Thesa¡¯s stability. ¡°Ew ew ew ew ew,¡± Thesa said, her socks squishing in her boots with every slow step. ¡°When will this end?¡± Merijest was unperturbed. Being casually nude as always, there were no socks to soak in the first place. ¡°Do you need me to carry you, kitten?¡± Merijest asked. Her words echoed in the empty corridor. Thesa suddenly felt very warm and generally less focused on her soggy boots. Although¡­that was interesting. When Merijest said that¡­thing that she said, Thesa noticed something she didn''t immediately recognize. It was not exactly like the internal wells of power she felt when using spells or summoning her halberd. Although something about it was familiar. She had a hunch about something but she could not figure out how to explain it to Merijest without getting into how that comment made her feel¡­ She stowed the idea away similar to the question about what Merijest had said about her ¡®studies.¡¯ Things to bring up later. As her thoughts started to return to the murky wading and the awkwardly large creature using her as a raft, Thesa looked for something else to think about. Sir Kelreyn and the Knights on their way to, at best, try to rescue her by hurting Merijest¡­ No. Probably that was not the kind of topic she was looking for. ¡°Do you ever level up as a [High Devil], Merijest?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°No. It¡¯s a special, levelless class, like [Deity] or [Familiar],¡± Merijest explained. ¡°Are you even able to take regular classes?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Sure. No real reason to bother considering the range of powers I get as a [High Devil] but I could if I felt like it,¡± Merijest said. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Just trying not to think about the water,¡± Thesa shrugged. ¡°At least the Cow-Dog and KangarooHawk are having fun. Wait¡­aren''t we missing one?¡± ¡°No, the Hundred-Legged Snake is on the ceiling,¡± Merijest said. Thesa looked up and learned, horrifyingly, that Hundred-Legged Snakes can in-fact walk on ceilings. ¡°I think I would have preferred to learn it could swim,¡± Thesa said. She couldn''t stop looking up to keep an eye on it now. ¡°Thesa, I don''t know how to break this to you, but¡­¡± Merijest said reluctantly. ¡°They very much can swim.¡± Thesa''s spine shook with the worst kind of chills and then she tripped on something and fell forward. The Chimerblin, sensing that Thesa¡¯s shoulders were no longer stable, helped out by meowing and leaping off with a powerful kick, adding to the downward force as Thesa splashed into the water. Her reflection was dim in the murk. There was a moment of near silence broken only by the flapping of the Chimerblin''s wings. ¡°Kitten,¡± Merijest asked in a low voice, ¡°you ok?¡± Before Thesa could answer with a pathetic whine about how gross the water was, she realized she had tripped on something. ¡°I think something is in the water,¡± Thesa said, her voice somehow both sharp and shaking. ¡°Oh no, oh no, oh no,¡± she muttered. ¡°Use your halberd to help you up, kitten,¡± Merijest said, looking around at her other [Familiars]. She was surprised the Cow-Dog and KangarooHawk hadn''t perked up at a threat but they still looked unbothered. The Chimerblin was still in the air, and the Hundred-Legged Snake was still on the ceiling. ¡°None of the others look alert. What did it feel like?¡± Thesa took Merijest''s advice and hiked herself up with her [Bound Weapon]. ¡°I didn''t get a lot. I just tripped on it. I''m sure it was moving though.¡± Merijest summoned a spark of cold magic. The ball of blue energy appeared above the demoness¡¯s twirling fingers and she spit a single droplet of night-sky blue blood into the mix which caused the orb to grow in size. Claws bared, she was ready to strike any incoming attackers. Then, something emerged at the end of the corridor, a humanoid body covered in green, fish-like scales with scattered portions of skin made of pink coral. The naiad spoke, ¡°Sorry, sorry! Please don''t hurt me!¡± 14. Fight / Talk Merijest maintained the floating bolt of cold magic raised above her hand. Thesa pointed her halberd, cautiously. Apart from the green scales and patches of coral skin, the naiad looked a lot like a human. On her head, the coral looked almost like hair. Her hands were raised in surrender. ¡°I mean you no harm,¡± she said, trying to speak softly though her voice quivered. ¡°Why did you trip me?¡± Thesa asked. She was still pretty frazzled by the whole experience of falling on her hands and knees into the murky water. ¡°Trying to get the jump on me, huh?¡± ¡°Honest, I was just trying to sneak past. I¡¯m in charge of this [Floor] and I¡¯m supposed to do the rounds every couple hours,¡± the naiad said. ¡°I got impatient and thought I could slip past. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Merijest was starting to realize this girl was not a threat. Dismissing her cold magic, the demoness put a hand on Thesa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I think it¡¯s ok, kitten,¡± Merijest said. Thesa became extremely meek on account of being called ¡®kitten¡¯ in front of another person. ¡°Wha¨C I just¨C Um¨C Yeah, ok. Ok. Sorry.¡± Her cheeks burned as she stepped behind her [Stake]. She tried to pull it off as showing reverence to Merijest, but nobody was fooled. ¡°What do you mean about being in charge of this [Floor]?¡± Merijest asked. The naiad nodded. ¡°Well, it''s just a part time gig. Hardly even. More of a work assignment. It''s supposed to give me experience toward my [Druid] class, tending to a body of water in a [Dungeon],¡± she explained. She gestured for Merijest and Thesa to follow her on her rounds. ¡°No offense, but this place seems more like a clogged sewer than a body of water,¡± Thesa said. She realized a moment later that might be rude, but before she could scramble to cover for herself, the naiad nodded. She walked with grace as if unimpeded by the backward force of the water. ¡°Honest, I think they ran out of proper assignments and stuck me here. Turns out IthorBeau Mage College has been accepting more [Druid] students than they have the resources for, and as the newest student I get the worst of it. The term ends just after the summer solstice, so I¡¯m sort of almost done, but¡­um,¡± the naiad said. ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s a lot of personal drama. I¡¯m Lellindel, but you can call me Lelly for short.¡± Thesa nodded. Internally, she was getting frustrated with how much this woman talked¡­ Although, as she thought, it¡¯s like she is trying to anticipate and answer every question before I can ask it, she remembered being told something similar by [Archknight Superior]. Maybe she had some things in common with this naiad. ¡°Sorry for almost attacking you,¡± Thesa said. The party had finished Lelly¡¯s rounds and were standing outside of a [Dungeon Seal] leading to Lelly¡¯s temporary lodging. Thesa looked up at Merijest and remembered something. ¡°Wait, do you have any interest in becoming a [Familiar] for Merijest, the [High Devil]?¡± Lelly looked at Thesa, then looked at Merijest. The naiad¡¯s eyes were translucent, indigo orbs. Her face tensed as she finally had a moment to take in Merijest¡¯s intimidating visage. Lelly moved closer to the [Dungeon Seal]. ¡°Oh! You are Merijest? I¨C um¨C didn¡¯t realize. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be a very good fit is all and¨C¡± Lelly stammered on. ¡°Um¨C What would that even mean?¡± It was a strange question from someone attending IBMC. Thesa could tell Lelly was starting to freak out, but she didn''t know what to say. No doubt her words would get tangled up as always. But she felt that strange power inside. The one she couldn¡¯t place after Merijest called her ¡®Kitten¡¯ earlier. It still wasn¡¯t like the wells of power she used for magic. It was almost like a loaded spring. Something ready to pop. She hadn¡¯t felt this since before she died. As a [Paladin], she had plenty of [Blessings] and they felt something like this. As she released the spring, time slowed. Thesa¡¯s [Arrow Time] ability had activated and everything around her seemed like it was moving through blood-red molasses. Part of the reason she hadn¡¯t recognized the [Curse] earlier was because she hadn¡¯t considered the potential uses for the skill outside of combat. Here she was in a conversation, not sure how to respond, but rather than barreling through like usual or just ruminating silently, she had just a few extra seconds to figure out how to respond. When time resumed normal speed, Thesa said, ¡°you do not have to become a [Familiar] if you do not want to. We will not hurt you or anything. Right, Merijest?¡± Although the ability had left Thesa¡¯s eyes bloodshot, Lelly wasn¡¯t keen on eye contact so she didn¡¯t notice. Merijest nodded. ¡°I see no reason to bring harm to you, Lelly. You are free to make your own decisions on the matter.¡± Her voice was flat, which actually helped her seem more trustworthy in a way. Like if she had wanted to lie, she might have put on an act. Indifference was harder to fake than friendliness. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Lelly¡¯s face released some of the built up tension. ¡°Ok,¡± she said. ¡°But why would you want me to do that? I don¡¯t really do fighting. I¡¯m more interested in studying the interactions of biodiversity and water magic. And honest, I am already extremely busy with school.¡± ¡°Um, Merijest is better at putting it into words than me, but I¡¯m trying to practice talking to people more so, um, here goes. Beautuk, who I have served as a Knight for basically my entire life mind you¨C I¡¯m not some rando who doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about, ok? I devoted my life to him. I was almost a max level [Paladin] serving under him. But he¡­he killed me,¡± Thesa felt an emotion dislodging in her throat for a moment, but she carried on. She had practiced a million versions of this speech a million times each. She wasn¡¯t staying completely on script, but she had some points to hit and a destination in mind. ¡°He killed me because I refused to kill Merijest when she was at her weakest moment and refused to fight back. He tossed me aside and well, Merijest told me some things I never knew about Beautuk. About how the realm where the Knights¨Cwhere I¨Csent so many of the dead¡­ His realm is not a paradise. Its torture and the immortal souls are being, they¡¯re being siphoned endlessly. And, and¨C¡± Thesa stopped herself before mentioning her mother. She could tell she was getting worked up. She hadn¡¯t even been paying a lot of attention to how Lelly was taking any of her words. Thesa was starting to feel a truer, more vulnerable kind of embarrassment. But Merijest¡¯s hand touched her shoulder and Thesa sheepishly turned away from Lelly as she dried her leaky eyes. ¡°Woah,¡± was all Lelly could muster. ¡°That¡¯s a lot. I mean, I¡¯m not really a follower of Beautuk.¡± Lelly actually stepped toward Merijest and Thesa. ¡°I know his name is on the school and region, so sometimes people think everyone here must be all about Beautuk, but I honestly don¡¯t know a ton about him. I get my magic from the Twin Stars, Ki Shathra and Arthash Ki. Ki Shathra especially has a strong connection with smaller bodies of water which is what I¡¯m interested in. Arthash Ki is more associated with oceans and stuff. Although even that binary is a simplification¡­ But um¨C sorry, lost my train of thought! Um, so are you trying to form an army then?¡± Merijest [Messaged] Thesa, ¡°Doing ok? Need me to take over?¡± Thesa nodded, exhausted. ¡°That¡¯s partially true. An army never hurts, but I do also get benefits from having more [Familiars] which could, given enough of them, allow me to match Beautuk¡¯s power. But I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. The short term goal is to rescue those who have been trapped in Beautuk¡¯s Realm. Many of my non-sapient [Familiars] on the [Floors] below us are simply going about their lives as they would have without having met me.¡± ¡°Honest, it sounds important,¡± Lelly said earnestly. ¡°I guess, and I mean no offense, but I¡¯m just worried what would happen to my [Cleric] spells if I became a [Familiar] to a [High Devil].¡± Merijest pondered. ¡°Do the Twin Stars have a pre-existing relationship with Beautuk?¡± Thesa knew the answer to this. She knew practically everything about Beautuk and in her old life, this would have been the perfect thing to launch her into a bunch of information she had memorized on the subject. As it was, she debated speaking up and ultimately stayed silent. ¡°Well, that depends who you ask,¡± Lelly said. Her face tightened with anger. ¡°For a while, Beautuk was outright hostile toward them. When he wasn¡¯t as popular as he is now, his followers did a lot of¡­forceful work to spread his word and all. I¡¯ve certainly heard about it, although this kind of thing hardly comes up for his followers. The Knights still frame half those attacks as heroic.¡± At that, Thesa was exceedingly glad she had not chimed in. The version she knew did, now that she thought about it, put Beautuk in an almost paternalistic role of authority and order over minor gods who she had been taught were untrustworthy and power hungry. ¡°In that case, they might be amenable to the idea,¡± Thesa said. ¡°Maybe,¡± Lelly said, scratching her chin with a scaly hand. ¡°These days the Twin Stars put on a more diplomatic face about Beautuk most of the time. And I get it. A lot of minor deities have to play the game enough to avoid being squashed. But honest, it¡¯s a pain. Just makes me wonder if they think it would be worth the risk. If word got back to Beautuk or the Knights that they let one of their followers ally with Merijest the [High Devil], I can¡¯t imagine it looking good. I guess I don¡¯t know a ton about where you fit into all of this. I know most devils fall from being a [Deity], minor god, or messenger, but I don¡¯t actually know where you came from.¡± Merijest got a little uncomfortable at the implied question. ¡°I have no pre-existing relationship with the Twin Stars,¡± was all she said. ¡°In that case, I could try contacting them to see what they think. Their communications are rarely as direct as someone like Beautuk, but they answer in their own ways.¡± Merijest nodded. Time to call up some minor gods. ¡°Ok, let me grab some stuff from my room,¡± Lelly said as she hopped through the [Dungeon Seal]. She left it open, but asked that everyone stay outside because it was such a mess. (To most people besides Lelly, the dorm would look very clean.)

Bonus Vignette

Waiting for Lelly to set up the divine communication, Thesa said, ¡°Hey, Merijest, I was just thinking, Do you have telepathy with your non-sapient [Familiars]? What would that even be like?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± Merijest explained. ¡°We can¡¯t [Message] with words, but I can still inhabit their senses temporarily just like I can with sapients.¡± ¡°Inhabit¡­senses?¡± Thesa asked, cheeks turning pink. ¡°What does that mean? It works on sapients too?¡± ¡°I can fully inhabit a [Familiar]¡¯s senses with permission,¡± Merijest said. This gave Thesa some momentary relief before Merijest added, ¡°And there¡¯s always a minor link so I can hear if anyone of my [Familiars] is calling out to me with their thoughts. ¡± ¡°So you would notice¡­¡± Thesa stammered, face now red as fire. ¡°You would notice if a [Familiar] was just like¡­thinking your name.¡± Merijest smirked. The demoness stepped closer to Thesa and leaned over her. ¡°Only if someone were mentally shouting it in distress¡­or for other reasons¡­ Why do you ask, kitten?¡± Thesa swallowed. ¡°No reason¡­¡± 15. Gravity / Buoyancy ¡°All ready,¡± Lelly said. The naiad [Druid] emerged from the doorway with a corked jar. Water, strange herbs, and dirt swirled slowly within. Thesa, who was starting to remember how uncomfortable she was standing shin-deep in water, was standing on one foot in a desperate bid to give one leg a break while the other endured. Unfortunately, her boots were still soaked so it didn''t really help. ¡°Are those material components?¡± she asked and when she received a nod, Thesa continued, thinking aloud, ¡°I never needed a bunch of complicated components to contact Beautuk¡­¡± ¡°The degree to which material components are needed for [Deity] related spells is not a constant,¡± Lelly said. It would be easy to assume she was parroting a lecture, but this was the kind of thing Lelly knew a lot about actually and always wanted to talk about. ¡°It scales based on things like the [Deity]¡¯s proximity and power level. Also the number of practitioners can help. Beautuk has a lot of power, so he probably doesn''t need components very often. These will help improve the connection.¡± There was some attitude in her voice which Thesa assumed was directed at her (really it was not). ¡°Sorry,¡± she said. ¡°The Convent just never even mentioned components as a possibility. Sorry.¡± Lelly nodded. ¡°Enough chatting,¡± Merijest said. Her tail flicked nervously. ¡°Let''s give it a try.¡± Again, Lelly nodded. ¡°I will reach out on my own first and then I''ll give you a signal when I''m ready to loop you in.¡± And then, having forgotten to explain the exact mechanics of the spell, Lelly placed the jar underwater and submerged her head after it. Thesa realized she might have to do that if Lelly ¡®looped them in.¡¯ She didn''t say anything, but apparently it was written all over her face because Merijest said, ¡°don''t worry, kitten. You probably don''t need to join us.¡± Water dripped haphazardly from the ceiling as they waited for Lelly¡¯s signal. Time. Ticked. On. Finally, Lelly¡¯s green, scaly hand poked out of the water and gave a thumbs up. ¡°Hopefully, I''ll be right back,¡± Merijest said before submerging herself. *** The Twin Stars did not have a humanoid body plan. What they did have was like an ocean bluebottle with a hundred-armed seastar at the top which might be acting as the head. Ki Shathra¡¯s head supposedly had fewer arms than Arthash Ki, although this was not immediately apparent. High level [Druids] and [Monks] might spend time counting them, but it would require patience and the permission of the god in question. Otherwise, it was often difficult to tell them apart. Both of the Twin Stars were present in the water with Lelly and Merijest, although they were clearly too large to fit in the [Dungeon] chamber. The water of [Floor] 65 and the water of wherever the Twin Stars were had been connected. Although, Merijest suspected the connection was more of a window than a portal. The demoness''s internal reaction warred between intimidation and fascination. Although the Twin Stars were minor compared to someone like Beautuk, the demoness¡¯s power paled when juxtaposed with their powerful forms. Externally, she mostly kept her composure. ¡°They want to speak with you through me,¡± Lelly said, smiling at the prospect of such a unique experience. None of her previous interactions with the Twin Stars were on par with this face-to-face meeting, not to mention the chance to channel their divine will through her. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Merijest nodded, her dark hair moving slowly through the water as she moved. Behind each of Lelly''s translucent, indigo eyes half of a glowing sigil appeared. In one eye was the half representing Ki Shathra, Arthash Ki¡¯s was in the other. When one of the [Deities] spoke through her, the corresponding sigil glowed. ¡°We are sympathetic to your cause,¡± Ki Shathra said. It was still Lelly¡¯s voice but Ki Shathra¡¯s words had more thoughtful gravity as opposed to Lelly¡¯s more frenetic mannerisms. ¡°However, I must recommend against making Lellindel a [Familiar] at this time.¡± Finding she could breathe safely despite being submerged, Merijest replied, ¡°Why not?¡± When Arthash Ki spoke through Lelly, the voice sounded duplicated, as if dozens of people were speaking in unison. ¡°This [Druid] is young. She has limited combat abilities. She does not wish to travel with you right now if it would mean giving up her schooling. However, if you leave her here as your [Familiar], she may be put in danger if someone is able to detect the class.¡± Merijest nodded. It was frustrating but she couldn''t really disagree. She couldn¡¯t force Lelly into harm¡¯s way. ¡°I understand,¡± Merijest said, a twinge of dejection touching her words. ¡°However,¡± Ki Shathra said. ¡°We have a request and an offer to make if you are amenable to such a thing.¡± ¡°Let''s hear it,¡± Merijest said. ¡°Entrust one of your [Familiars] with our [Druid] and we will forge a similar link with the creature,¡± Ki Shathra continued. ¡°In exchange, we can offer both information and our future allyship.¡± ¡°That''s all?¡± Merijest asked. Then she clarified, ¡°I mean from me, that''s all you want?¡± Although she also wasn''t sure what the information and allyship would be worth. ¡°The [Familiar]¡¯s proximity to Lellindel serves multiple purposes. It will allow us to communicate when needed. Additionally, we will grant the [Familiar] the additional Class of [Lantern].¡± Merijest perked up at that. Her entire mood was turned on its head in an instant. ¡°You honor me, Twin Stars. I believe our alliance is the beginning of something important and exciting.¡± ¡°Do not make us regret it," Arthash Ki''s layered voice said. Ki Shathra quickly added, ¡°Do not let Arthash''s words concern you. This agreement is risky, but we trust your desire to make true on your goal, however grave the odds when facing one as powerful as Beautuk and his new champion.¡± ¡°His new champion?¡± *** ¡°What does making someone a [Lantern] even mean?¡± Thesa asked. Merijest had re-emerged from the water, although the Twin Stars had more to discuss with Lelly. The demoness was obviously excited at the prospect. She was talking with a high-tempo excitement that her usual demeanor suppressed. ¡°[Lantern] and [Familiar] are similar to [Blessings] and [Curses]. Mostly the same mechanics with slightly different flavoring. Whereas [Blessing] and [Curse] are two types of [Knack] ¨C [Knack]! That was the word I was looking for! ¨C [Lantern] and [Familiar] are two types of [Attendant]. ¡°The important thing is that one creature cannot have two [Attendant] classes from different [Deities] without the assent of all parties. Whereas a [Druid] has some freedom to connect with multiple gods within reason, [Attendants] maintain a deeper link. Having both [Attendant] classes will essentially open up a channel of connection between myself and the Twin Stars and that is going to give me a much bigger boost in power compared to just gaining one [Familiar] who happens to be their low-Level [Druid].¡± Thesa didn¡¯t say anything immediately. Somewhere in the middle of the explanation she¡¯d realized that Merijest was standing there soaked in water. The demoness¡¯s hair was wet and although it was pretty short, she kept pushing it back like it was in her face. Additional droplets traced their way down Merijest¡¯s neck and¡­ Thesa looked away, face bright red. ¡°So what does that mean practically speaking?¡± ¡°For one thing, you can finally start getting a more complete version of the [Witch] Class,¡± Merijest smiled. 16. Fledgling / Upstart Merijest''s agreement with the Twin Stars meant the party would be leaving the KangarooHawk behind, and after the Cow-Dog gave Merijest a pouty look, it was decided the two should remain together. However, only the KangarooHawk would become the bearer of both the [Familiar] and [Lantern] Classes. At the same time, Merijest''s increased power meant that Thesa could get another spell and one of the Class options she had skipped at a lower level. For her spell, she took [Miasmic Slash] which would temporarily add a poison effect to her weapon attacks. Then, to make up for the new gaps in the party, she agreed to create a [Minor Familiar]. They were on [Floor] 64 in a room with craggy stone walls that resembled a natural cavern. Thesa and Merijest sat drying by a fire. The Chimerblin was curled up at Thesa''s feet and the Hundred-Legged Snake was nowhere to be seen (Normally that might bother Thesa, but she was so happy to be out of the murky water that she forgot to be afraid). ¡°Your [Minor Familiar] is better off summoned than found.¡± Merijest explained as she preened her feathers with a claw. ¡°We would need to find a pretty low level monster and I don''t expect as much at this depth.¡± Thesa agreed, but she was wary all the same. Leaving the form of her [Bound Weapon] up to the whims of the [System] was one thing. And she had only grown more and more fond of her halberd. But a randomly shaped creature had a lot of potential to go wrong. As she reached within to summon the creature, she thought. What if it''s another Hundred-Legged Snake? A spark of ethereal feathers and light emerged from Thesa''s chest, growing in size as the swirl of matter and energy floated before her. Pain struck the crook of her arm and several ounces of blood floated into the formation before the fresh wound quickly scarred over. Ignoring the pain, Thesa covered her eyes in fear, peeking through her fingers to see¡­ A birdhouse with chicken legs? Truly. Standing before her, a small wooden house with a hole just above a round, wooden perch which stuck out from the center. Was that its nose? Did it have an eye behind the hole? Peering in, there was only darkness. ¡°What¡­is it?¡± The avian legs were the only evidence that the thing was alive. It tilted its house-shaped body around as if inspecting its surroundings. The creature waddled forward, testing its fresh legs. ¡°Unexpected, but cool,¡± Merijest said. ¡°It''s a Yabaga, also known as a Nest Walker. Not a common beast.¡± ¡°It doesn''t even have a face,¡± Thesa said. ¡°How is it that I am responsible for the weirdest monster in our party?¡± Merijest rolled her eyes. ¡°I think it makes sense that you would have an odd and adorable [Minor Familiar]. It suits you.¡± Thesa''s frustration and confusion was undercut somewhat by the blushing in her cheeks. This was followed by momentary dizziness given her recent blood donation. The [Witch] took a seat beside her strange creation. ¡°Just like their higher level variants, [Minor Familiars] can grant a lot of bonuses. However, you also have a responsibility to them. The more you invest your care, the more you will get back.¡± ¡°Ok¡­¡± Thesa nodded. ¡°Then how about I give this little weirdo a nickname. Something to set it apart from all the other Yag¡­ I mean Yab¡­ what was that word again?¡± ¡°Are you just giving it a nickname because you can''t remember ¡®Yabaga¡¯?¡± Merijest smirked, scratching a spot between her neck feathers, just above her clavicle. ¡°No¡­¡± Thesa lied unconvincingly. ¡°But how about Yabba!¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. *** There was something oddly charming about her weird creature¡­child¡­thing. Yabba seemed endlessly inquisitive. Or at least, that''s what Thesa assumed based on the way it pointed its perch-nose and¡­face-hole-thing at everything they passed. [Floor] 62 was filled with creepy porcelain statues with broken faces (only one of which tried to eat anybody) and Yabba couldn''t stop naively approaching each statue with equal curiosity. When one of the statues did animate into a swirl of shattered pieces with a terrible, endless maw, Thesa carried her new [Minor Familiar] out of harm''s way while Merijest spread her wings and destroyed the soulless construct with unholy magic. At first Thesa felt annoyed, but as she held Yabba, she started to recognize her protective impulses toward the little Nest Walker. This had quickly bloomed into an almost maternal affection which was, and this is true, a little obnoxious. ¡°Who''s my baby Yabba? You are! My baby!¡± Thesa cooed. The Yabaga in her arms did not emote in response because most of its body was made of wood, but it did make a sound like creaking floor boards which Thesa interpreted as intentional. ¡°Thesa,¡± Merijest said. ¡°I say this as someone who loves and respects all animals. The only reason you are getting away with being this much about your [Minor Familiar] is because you''re cute. But don''t push it.¡± Thesa''s head spun. Meanwhile Yabba jumped out of her lap and started playfully(?) chasing after the Chimerblin. *** On [Floor] 60, Merijest decided that Thesa had gotten enough time to take the uncomfortable sensory experience of the murky water on [Floor] 65 and put it out of her mind. At least, she hoped so. As inevitable as it was, she didn¡¯t want to put her [Witch] through more than she could handle. ¡°Thesa,¡± Merijest said, folding her wings and sitting on a pink toadstool in a chamber full of mushrooms. ¡°There''s something else the Twin Stars shared with me that I haven''t shared yet.¡± ¡°Ok. What?¡± Thesa said. She was playing with Yabba (dragging around a twig on a string as prey(?) for Yabba to chase around as if it were hunting) and did not pick up on Merijest''s tone right away. ¡°You might want to sit down, kitten,¡± Merijest said softly. Thesa looked up and after a moment of squinting at Merijest''s expression she realized that this was something more serious. She wasn''t sure what and she couldn''t shake this feeling in her gut that she had done something wrong? ¡°The Twin Stars shared with me that Beautuk has been acting strangely ever since you left his stead,¡± Merijest said. ¡°Sounds like he already has a new champion.¡± Thesa nodded as she sank. Her stomach sank. Her throat sank also. Her stomach swallowed up her sinking throat and continued to sink further down, full. This was not what she expected. Merijest continued, ¡°They don''t know the identity of this new [Paladin] but apparently he is part of the party descending the [Dungeon].¡± That was definitely not what she had expected. First of all, there was no rule against men being [Paladins] or Knights for that matter but it was uncommon. Second of all, why would the Convent send a newbie along on such an important mission? Perhaps they were trying to cram in levels for Beautuk''s new champion. But why do that when the Convent was already full of skilled warriors? It didn''t make any sense. ¡°Do we know what [Floor] they are on now?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°No,¡± Merijest said. ¡°However, today Lelly went to visit Lenum, the shopkeeper, and he says they were last seen on [Floor] 39 yesterday.¡± It felt almost too perfect. Sir Kelreyn, Sir Garteth the executioner, and this new champion¨Cthe Knights¡¯ descent mirrored Merijest and Thesa''s ascent too perfectly. If that continued, their run in would happen on either [Floor] 50 or 51. 17. Anxiety / Catastrophe The next few [Floors] were painfully uneventful. Nothing to keep Thesa''s mind off of the upcoming confrontation. [Floor] 59 was just two rooms with a winding, empty corridor between them. A right turn and a left and three rights and two lefts. The hallway wound endlessly around itself. What am I going to say to Kelreyn? [Floor] 58 was lightless. Thesa remembered the pit traps from this [Floor] on her way down. Between her [Infravision] and whatever Merijest was using to see, the darkness was an underwhelming twist. Who even is this ¡®new champion¡¯? ¡°I just need a distraction,¡± Thesa said as she sidestepped another spike pit. ¡°Anticipation is the worst.¡± Merijest nodded empathetically as she flapped her wings, hovering through the chamber along Thesa''s side. ¡°We''ll be there before you know it, kitten.¡± ¡°People always say that kind of thing but I''ve never found it to be true.¡± Did other people not experience time as an excruciating lull down a broken set of uneven stairs? What am I even going to say? The Chimerblin and Hundred-Legged Snake had no problem either, but what surprised everyone the most was how Yabba was navigating at all. The strange little creature waddled along on its chicken legs, sidestepping drops and hopping over gaps without missing a beat. The hole in the bird box wasn¡¯t even looking down half the time. The next few floors also lacked much of a challenge and the boredom allowed Thesa¡¯s mind to wander more than she preferred. On [Floor] 53, they ran into another of Lenum''s shops. Merijest bought some health potions and a smoke bomb. Thesa reached Level 3, which boosted her spellcasting abilities and the damage from her halberd. Kelreyn was nearly Level 20 the last time we spoke. Garteth is a max Level [Paladin] AND has the Eminent Class [Angel of Death]. Merijest is powerful, but is she THAT powerful? I¡¯ve hardly once used most of my abilities in combat. I''m basically useless at Level 3. [Floor] 52 actually did have an interesting theme. They had to follow some clues to dig up treasure in each chamber. If they chose the wrong location, there was a brief fight with a Dirt Construct. Merijest tried to let Thesa take the lead but by this [Floor] her anxiety had simmered so close to a boil that she couldn''t focus. They ended up fighting three quarters of the Dirt Constructs before Merijest took over. We''re going to die. Oh my god. We''re going to die. ***
Dirt Construct Rank: Varies Attacks: Slam, Worm Blast Notes: Depending on the skill and effort expended in their creation, a Dirt Construct can range from an angy lil mud pie to an entire field of crops which can rise from the ground in response to serious threats.
*** The walls and ceiling on [Floor] 50 were smooth concrete. The floor was tessellated with ceramic tiles. At a forked corridor, Thesa spoke. ¡°I still don''t see them.¡± Her voice echoed more than she had expected which did not help her nerves. She continued in a whisper, ¡°what now?¡± ¡°The Chimerblin seems to think there''s something further in,¡± Merijest replied in a low voice, gesturing to the creature. Its tiger-head was low to the ground and its tail flicked. Its eyes were locked on the corridor to the right. Thesa breathed deep but she felt like she still wasn''t getting enough air. Slowly, the sound of careful footsteps emerged on the auditory horizon. The sound of armor lightly clinking. A low grunt. Whoever made the sound wasn''t sneaking but they were moving cautiously. ¡°We got this, kitten,¡± Merijest said. She winked at Thesa, but Thesa was too on edge to really process it. All she heard was Merijest being more chipper than usual which ended up reinforcing the idea that this was about to go really poorly. Thesa''s expression was blank. Only her eyes were ever so slightly wider than usual. Someone rounded the corner. Face obscured by a helm, they wore celestial armor identical to the set Thesa had donned as a Knight. Thesa didn''t recognize this Knight''s build so she had to assume it was the newbie. The Knight didn''t react in any observable way to his sudden view of the [High Devil], [Witch], Chimerblin, Hundred-Legged Snake, and Nest Walker. Thesa, rather than jumping into action, had to force herself to stay present. For a few seconds, she felt outside of herself. Then, behind the new Knight, the similarly armored builds of Sir Kelreyn and Sir Garteth came into view. Garteth maintained the same non-emotive nonchalance as the newbie, but Kelreyn did seem momentarily taken aback by the sight of Merijest''s party. ¡°Kelreyn,¡± Thesa tried to say although her mouth was dry so it came out somewhat garbled. ¡°Kelreyn, it''s me, Thesa.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Kelreyn moved as if she were about to reply, but Garteth looked back over at her and held up a hand. Kelreyn nodded. ¡°[High Devil] Merijest,¡± began the new Knight, ¡°saint of killers and breather of shadows¡­¡± ¡°Kelreyn, Beautuk has been lying to us,¡± Thesa interjected. ¡°...in the name of Beautuk, son of wisest Owtem and rightful wielder of the Manifest Slate¡­¡± The Knight drew his sword. ¡°Beautuk even killed me,¡± Thesa said. ¡°...I bless your wicked soul and drive it from this realm you have cursed with villainy and dread¡­¡± ¡°Merijest hasn''t done anything wrong,¡± Thesa said. ¡°Please, you have to stop. We have to save my mom and¡­and everyone.¡± She summoned her halberd in a flurry of ethereal feathers. ¡°I don''t want to fight you guys.¡± Before the newbie could say anymore, Merijest shot an icicle toward the Knight¡¯s head. He tilted out of the way and combat broke out. ¡°Formation A,¡± Garteth grunted. She and the newbie charged Merijest while Kelreyn drew her sword and approached Thesa. ¡°Kelreyn, why are you doing this?¡± Thesa shouted. Her halberd caught the Knight''s first swing. ¡°Why won''t you even say anything to me?¡± ¡°I¨C¡± Kelreyn paused for a moment. ¡°Modess Kelreyn!¡± Garteth shouted. ¡°Not a word!¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Thesa said, ¡°if she won''t let you speak to me¡­¡± Thesa signaled to her [Minor Familiar]. Letting out a whining creak, Yabba leapt up from behind Thesa and its talons gripped Kelreyn''s helm. At the same time, the Chimerblin jumped on the Knights back. The overall effect was more distracting than damaging. Meanwhile Merijest was dancing around her two attackers. Dodging a burst of light here and a holy blade there. She was so focused on dodging Garteth and the new guy that she wasn''t landing any hits of her own. ¡°Who even is that guy,¡± Thesa shouted as she ran up from behind and cast [Blindfold]. Darkness filled the corridor. As humans, Kelreyn and Garteth didn''t have any natural means of seeing in the dark. Even if they had a spell to aid their lack of sight, it would hopefully still be a short term complication. Thesa''s [Infravision] activated. No hidden threats caught her attention as she scanned the battlefield. Three Knights, bodies radiating red and orange heat tones. Merijest took advantage of the opportunity. She summoned several ethereal blades and hurled them at the newbie. Disoriented by the darkness, he took the hits. Thesa didn''t have a lot of power, but if she could sufficiently distract the Knights while Merijest did the heavy hitting, they might have a chance. Thesa approached Garteth from behind, stabbing her halberd into the center of the hot infrared aura of the elder Knight. The spade of her Halberd met no resistance. None at all. Garteth''s heat map dissipated. An illusion. The Knights had anticipated the threat of darkness and Thesa¡¯s [Infravision]. Thesa felt a warm blade crack through the back of her ribs. It cut smoothly through her right lung. Another crack. The tip of the blade emerged from the front of her chest. It happened in an instant. Garteth''s attack had completely ignored Thesa''s armor. Thesa gasped. She struggled to take in any air at all. She couldn¡¯t even activate the [Back Up] enchantment because her violet breastplate didn¡¯t register an incoming attack. ¡°Thesa!¡± Merijest shouted. In the midst of her distraction, the new Knight struck the demoness''s shoulder, leaving a burning gash dripping with the [High Devil]¡¯s blood. Thesa turned to see the Chimerblin unconscious behind Kelreyn. Beside the Knight, Yabba lay limp on the ground with a crack in the roof of its birdhouse. Thesa felt like she was watching it all from above. Disconnected. Holy magic pulsed from Garteth''s sword, further damaging the [Witch]¡¯s internal organs. The Knights hadn''t argued. They hadn''t gloated. They were sent to kill and so they would kill. She still hadn''t even learned the name of Beautuk¡¯s new champion and she was helpless to defend her [Minor Familiar] or her [Deity]. Merijest had saved her, in a sense, and Thesa wouldn''t be able to repay the favor. Merijest shrieked. A pathetic shriek that shook the [Dungeon]. Even as the newbie struck her again, Merijest''s body surged with an ethereal blaze. Her wings grew larger as additional pairs bloomed along her back. Her body contorted, neck, spine, and tail lengthening to serpentine; arms and legs cracking and stretching into many-jointed appendages. Her blue, humanoid skin was filled in by black plumage and maroon scales. Her face remained structurally unaltered but contorted nonetheless by rage. White pupils expanded to cover all but a thin red border of her eyes. In a mad, strange dash, she slinked through the corridor, past where the Knights had come from. The new Knight chased after. In a jolt, Garteth pulled her sword from Thesa''s chest and turned to Kelreyn. ¡°I''ll follow Sir Peter,¡± Garteth said. ¡°Make sure the Apostate is fully dead, then join us.¡± Kelreyn nodded as Garteth took off down the corridor. Thesa teetered on the edge of unconsciousness. ¡°Kelreyn, please,¡± she choked out. Kelreyn looked down the hallway. Garteth was gone. Kelreyn removed her helmet. Her blonde hair was neatly braided as if she hadn''t been in a fight. ¡°I told them it would be a mistake to send you,¡± Kelreyn said. ¡°Too easily convinced.¡± Thesa tried to process the words. ¡°I thought¡­you were¡­my¡­friend.¡± ¡°Like I said. Too trusting,¡± Kelreyn said. She loomed over Thesa. Then, Thesa saw the Hundred-Legged Snake. Never had she been so glad to see that weird creature. It was crawling toward Kelreyn''s leg. Thesa had to keep Kelreyn going. She had to put off processing what she just heard. ¡°But even now¡­why not¡­you?...Who even¡­is¡­¡®Sir Peter?¡¯¡± ¡°What so you can [Message] useful information to that devil before you die?¡± Kelreyn asked. ¡°I''m not an idiot.¡± The Hundred-Legged Snake reached Kelreyn and sank its fangs into her leg. As the Knight cried out, Thesa took the opportunity to chug a potion. There was no time to wait for its effects, though. Thesa pulled herself up to stand as she felt her internal organs churning and itching. The edges of the stab wound in her torso inched agonizingly toward one another. Thesa''s Level was still abysmal, but her Ability Scores reflected her previous training. Her chances of success were low but not impossible. Kelreyn''s shock subsided and she shook her head. The Knight reached down to the Hundred-Legged Snake and squeezed the sides of its jaw, forcing the creature''s mouth to unclamp. She held it up to eye level, its legs wriggling and kicking to no avail. ¡°Gross.¡± Her sword impaled its head. Thesa stared and whispered, ¡°no.¡± She couldn''t bring herself to move. ¡°Merijest, what do I do?¡± she [Messaged]. Merijest''s reply came through harsh and fuzzy. The thought was panicked. ¡°Run.¡± Thesa threw her halberd at Kelreyn, scooped up Yabba¡¯s limp form, and sprinted in the other direction. She rounded corners and bolted through chambers until she found the entrance to the next [Floor]. 18. Ugh / Bleh Thesa wanted to catch her breath but Kelreyn could still be pursuing her so she barrelled through the next [Floor] and the next [Floor] and on and on. She lost track of where she was until she pushed through a metallic door into the murky water of [Floor] 65. Lelly, the KangarooHawk, and the Cow-Dog were all waiting by the door. As soon as Thesa came through, the naiad pushed the door closed and began manipulating her green scaled hands to cast a magic lock into place. Thesa''s heart was beating out of her chest. ¡°Wait, wait, what about Merijest?¡± Lelly swallowed. ¡°Thesa, Merijest told me to do this. She told me to be ready for you and that if she can get away, she will contact me so I can unseal the door.¡± ¡°But¨C¡± Thesa was still shouting but couldn''t think to say any more. ¡°Thesa,¡± Lelly said softly, putting a smooth, scaly hand on Thesa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The best thing you can do for Merijest right now is get healed up, honest. If she makes it to us with Knights on her trail, we need to be ready.¡± Thesa couldn''t think of anything else to argue and the adrenaline was starting to leave her brain, although the rest of her body took its time to reach equilibrium. *** The next day, Thesa lay face down on the wooden floor of Lelly''s dorm. The naiad [Druid]¡¯s dwelling was small. A bedroom, a front room, and a bathroom. The KangarooHawk and Cow-Dog stood (swam?) guard out on the [Floor] proper. Yabba had been laid on the soft rug in Lelly¡¯s bedroom. Thesa was in the front room. Lelly had used a spell to stabilize the [Minor Familiar]¡¯s condition. As the creature lay resting, strands of wood pulp reached across the cracks in its frame, expanding to seal up each break. ¡°Uuuuuuuuuuuuggh,¡± Thesa elaborated. She wasn¡¯t sure if it was the distance from her [Stake] or pure exhaustion, but for the first time she really felt undead. She imagined herself looking ragged although she hadn¡¯t checked her reflection. Lelly brought over a mug of hot tea. She placed it beside Thesa and took a seat on a chair decorated to look like a big, dotted mushroom cap. It was next to the small futon where Thesa had been sleeping. ¡°Still no news, huh?¡± Thesa replied through inaction, not replying or changing her demeanor in any way. ¡°Uggggggggggh,¡± she continued. There was a time when she had planned on escaping from Merijest but now she was mortified at what might be happening in the [Floors] above. Merijest was powerful, but there was no guarantee against that trio of Knights. And Thesa felt like she couldn''t really start to process the whole encounter if it hadn''t truly ended yet. Reconsidering the history of her friendship with Kelreyn and trying to figure out what was up with Peter were questions for later. All of Merijest¡¯s plans for liberating Beautuk¡¯s Realm and saving Thesa¡¯s mother were now perfectly unachievable. ¡°Have you and Merijest ever really been apart this long?¡± the naiad asked. "Well I guess," Thesa replied, misunderstanding the question. "It''s not like we''ve always known each other." "No, I mean like since you started seeing each other?" Lelly rephrased. "Seeing each other?" Thesa asked, confused. ¡°You know, like, got together¡­¡± (No recognition.) ¡°...as a couple¡­¡± (Still none.) ¡°...romantically?¡± ¡°Wait, we''re not together like that,¡± Thesa said. Her cheeks reddened even as she stared at the floor. ¡°What gave you that idea?¡± ¡°Oh gosh,¡± Lelly said, scrambling, ¡°I didn''t mean¨C I just thought¨C the way way you two¨C um. Sorry I shouldn''t have assumed.¡± She fidgeted with her pink coral ¡®hair.¡¯ There was a long awkward silence. ¡°I don''t think she looks at me like that,¡± Thesa said. She tried to replay various memories of the past few days with Merijest but as always she couldn¡¯t really picture faces. Merijest was certainly protective of her and often teased her, but that was just the demoness¡¯s personality. Impossible to read anything into it, Thesa decided. ¡°Hmm,¡± Lelly said. ¡°I think that might be worth some further investigation, Thesa.¡± Thesa didn''t understand what Lelly was saying. ¡°Safe for now,¡± came the first [Message] from Merijest. ¡°Hidden and moving slowly. [Floor] 38. Need to focus on stealth.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Thesa considered the [Message], trying to come up with a reply that didn''t sound stupid. ¡®I miss you.¡¯ ¡®I''m worried.¡¯ ¡®I don''t know what to do.¡¯ It all sounded pathetic and Merijest had just said she needed to focus. Thesa relayed the message to Lelly. ¡°So that''s good, right?¡± Lelly said. ¡°We just need to sit tight for a day or two and she''ll be back.¡± Thesa remained nose-to-floor. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°I''ll try to think of some things we can do to pass the time,¡± Lelly said. She stood up and returned to her bedroom. ¡°Oh wait!¡± she returned almost instantly. ¡°When I was visiting Lenum''s shop, he had this book I thought you would find interesting.¡± Lelly pointed to a stack of books. Thesa looked up. ¡°Reincarnated as a Human Woman in a World Without Magic?!¡± she asked. ¡°Not that one,¡± Lelly said. ¡°My Harpy Girlfriend?¡± Thesa continued, completely unaware that Lelly was beginning to regret pointing out the whole stack. ¡°No, I''m trying to tell you its¨C¡± ¡°Does Falling in Love with My Arch Nemesis at Mage School Make Me a Lesbian??" ¡°How about I just show you,¡± Lelly said. Her scaly cheeks tinged with blush. Lelly grabbed a dense book from the pile titled Plume and Granby''s Encyclopedia of Demons and Fiends. ¡°This is the latest edition and it has a section about Merijest.¡± Thesa started to perk up a bit. ¡°What does it say?¡± ¡°I haven''t had time to look, but what say we do that together right now?¡± Lelly asked, hopefully. Thesa sighed. ¡°Sure.¡± Lelly checked the table of contents and quickly flipped through to a short section on ¡°Merijest the [High Devil].¡± ¡°That picture doesn''t look that much like Merijest. She doesn''t have scales in a lot of those spots,¡± Thesa said, pointing to the illustration. In truth, it was fairly accurate. Thesa just hadn''t realized how much time she had spent staring at Merijest close up. Thesa continued, ¡°what does ¡®z.e.¡¯ after the year mean?¡± ¡°It stands for Zithixian Era,¡± Lelly explained. ¡°It''s used in some academic texts as a neutral alternative to the more popular b.r. for Beautuk''s Reign.¡± Together, they read through the short blurb.
Merijest the [High Devil] Active: 4715 z.e. - Present Domain: Death/Undeath Origin: northeastern IthorBeau Alternate Names: saint of killers, breather of shadows Lineage: Unknown* Symbols: Black feathers, ice, spade Major Acts:
  • Destruction of Beautuk¡¯s statue in the ThrixOwtem region of northeast ItherBeau 4715 z.e.
  • Lead an army of undead [Familiars] against an unspecified burial site in the Gomder Mountains 4717 z.e.
  • Acquisition and renovation of Blinny [Dungeon] 4721 z.e.
Summary: Although newly active and mostly solitary, Merijest has made a name for herself by coming from nowhere to pick a fight with the biggest power player in the region. Like most currently-active [High Devils], her exact abilities are unknown. Merijest is known to primarily (if not exclusively) recruite non-sapient [Familiars] with no confirmed sapient [Familiars] to date. * One of few [High Devils] to not be born a demon. Merijest''s life prior to her active years is mostly unknown.
¡°Huh,¡± Thesa said. ¡°Merijest wasn''t born a demon?¡± She had suspected there were things she didn''t know about Merijest''s past, but she didn''t even know a non-demon could become a demon. ¡°Only ten years? Honest, she hasn''t been nearly as active as I thought.¡± Lelly said. ¡°The way she''s talked about, you would think she''s been killing babies for centuries.¡± ¡°But did you know that?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°That someone can become a demon?¡± Lelly nodded. ¡°It''s not common but it''s totally possible. Most seminars don''t get into the specifics because there''s a lot we don''t know. Not a lot of demons interested in dictating their methods to someone from a Mage College.¡± Thesa slumped back onto the floor. Now she had even more she wanted to say to Merijest. More questions. More worries. *** Suspended upside-down, Thesa dreamed herself in a foggy pit. Merijest lay ragged and resting somewhere above her, Thesa felt without any relevant sensory input. And suddenly she was holding that human rib bone again. Rightside-up, she felt the presence of many devils, all lying in broken coffins. These were Beautuk¡¯s previous foes. Countless demonesses and demons throughout the history of his reign, all slain just as Thesa had once trained to slay Merijest. 19. Fiction / Friendship ¡°¡®Samantha leaned in, hands on her desk, face inches from mine. ¡°I would risk every dime for you,¡± she said.¡¯¡± Lelly closed the book she''d been reading aloud. ¡°Wow,¡± Thesa said. She sat on the floor holding her poor little Yabba. The Nest Walker¡¯s injuries had recovered but it was still lethargic. ¡°Right?!¡± Lelly said, giddy to share one of her favorite book series. ¡°That was pretty good, but the names seem kind of weird,¡± Thesa pondered. ¡°Like the author just took real names like ¡®Zamantha¡¯ and ¡®Shanom¡¯ and swapped letters around until they got something they liked.¡± ¡°That''s pretty common in mundane fiction, although different authors have different preferences. Some mun-fi writers even go so far as to build entire fictional languages, but that can take a lot of work,¡± Lelly explained. ¡°But wait,¡± Thesa said, ¡°If Samantha is the [Office Core] and Shannon is her [Employee], isn''t that kind of unethical?¡± Lelly nodded. ¡°To me, that''s part of why the books are so unrealistic. They''re pure flights of fancy. If it were set in the real world with magic and monsters, I could see myself expecting it to more closely align with realistic morality, but the line is different for everyone.¡± ¡°If I were an author,¡± Lelly added as if she hadn''t written staggering amounts of secret fanfiction, ¡°I would want readers to be able to ask questions and think critically about the ethical models and implications of my story while also recognizing that fiction is a space for play. Not everything has a one-to-one allegorical meaning.¡± Thesa nodded in return. ¡°Back at the Convent, there were a lot of arguments about which texts were acceptable for reading and which should be rejected. I guess outside of very particular religious and institutional contexts, our personal relationships to books aren''t worth moralizing.¡± ¡°Honest, there are still certain tropes and stories that leave a bad taste in my mouth and its pretty undeniable that fiction has an impact on the world around us,¡± Lelly said. ¡°There are lines, but at the same time, it''s hard to generalize. Plus, a trope that might be harmful in one context isn''t necessarily harmful in all contexts.¡± ¡°You''ve put a lot of thought into this?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°I used to spend way too much time on the [Forums] arguing with people about light novels and stuff. I think it was mostly an outlet for real life anxieties I was dealing with.¡± ¡°What is a [Forum]?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°It''s one of the functions of the [System] but you can only use it in places that have the proper magic runes set up. It lets you talk with people from all over. I have been meaning to set one up here but I keep putting it off. IBMC has them set up all over campus.¡± ¡°Weird,¡± Thesa nodded. ¡°Do most people know about it?¡± ¡°I''m not sure I''m the best judge of that kind of thing, but I think the [Forums] are fairly popular,¡± Lelly said. ¡°I keep feeling like an outsider, unfamiliar with so much about the world,¡± Thesa sighed. ¡°I guess the Convent education wasn''t exactly well rounded.¡± As the conversation lulled, Thesa''s momentary distraction faded and her mind returned to the horrors of reality. Three days had passed with only the occasional brief message from Merijest with a [Floor] number. Earlier that morning, she was on [Floor] 45. The wyrmic form that Merijest had taken when Thesa last saw her had looked painful. Sounded painful. Thesa got the idea that it took a lot out of her. She worried how long the demoness might have stayed in that state for the sake of survival. Lelly could see her friend''s mood dipping. ¡°Want to play another round of Ant Hill?¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I don''t know,¡± Thesa said. ¡°I think I need to do something else. We''ve already played that one a lot.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Lelly thought before hopping up. ¡°How about you follow me on my rounds? It could be nice to stretch your legs.¡± Thesa considered the discomfort of wading through the watery [Dungeon Floor]. She supposed it was better than continuing to sit around in the same three rooms. Yabba let out a small creek, and Thesa¡¯s attention turned to her [Minor Familiar]. ¡°Does the baby need some peace and quiet?¡± she asked in a sing-song voice. Then, to Lelly she said, ¡°Let me get Yabba comfortable and I¡¯ll be ready.¡± *** As Lelly led her through the [Floor], Thesa dragged her feet and ruminated. The [Familiars] were resting back at the dorm. ¡°Thesa,¡± Lelly said, not making eye contact because neither of them was a big fan of that. ¡°It might be helpful to talk about your feelings.¡± Thesa moaned, but ultimately decided she would try. ¡°This all feels pointless,¡± she said, pausing every few words out of frustration or just in search of the will to keep talking. ¡°I don''t know why I thought we had any chance¡­ I''m stuck at Level 3¡­Merijest''s powers are weaker because I helped the Convent destroy all of her [Familiars] before she saved me. And¡­I can''t even get much experience because the [Dungeon] hasn''t repopulated the monsters on this [Floor].¡± Then she added, ¡°And I would probably feel bad killing monsters at this point anyways.¡± Lelly turned around. ¡°I don''t know if you''d be interested, but I think I could actually help with part of that.¡± *** In the biggest chamber on the [Floor], Thesa stood ready with her halberd. Lelly sat floating atop the water on the other end. ¡°Like I said, this is a new spell, and they''ll be pretty low level, but¡­yeah that''s all I have to say,¡± the naiad said. Thesa nodded. It was the best choice she had. Lelly stuck her hand into the murk and pulled out an orb of water like a reverse bubble. With a brief chant, she threw the orb. It spun through the air and took the blocky shape of a Water Construct. Thesa swung her halberd, striking through the creature with a splash. The Water Construct''s form rippled but it remained intact. ¡°Ok, Bubblo, use [Aqua Blast]!¡± Lelly shouted. Lelly didn¡¯t need to give a name or verbal commands to the creature, but she had told Thesa it was a reference to a board game or something. Bubblo the Water Construct aimed one of its rectangular arms toward Thesa and a high-pressure stream of water bolted across the chamber, knocking Thesa back. Thesa tried to maintain that bit of distance, using the reach of her halberd to get in another strike. ¡°Now, use [Mega Wave]!¡± Lelly shouted, jumping onto her feet as she did. The water level at Thesa¡¯s feet lowered as a large wave swelled and arched up before knocking her over. Trying to match Lelly''s energy, Thesa stood up and shouted, ¡°[Miasmic Slash]!¡± Her halberd was enveloped in a purple haze as she hit Bubblo again. ¡°I don''t think Water Constructs can be poisoned,¡± Lelly said. ¡°I know,¡± Thesa said. ¡°I just thought it might look cool.¡± She hadn¡¯t gotten a lot of chances to use her [Witch] abilities in combat before this. ¡°It did look cool,¡± Lelly replied. Thesa smiled. Having something to focus on. This was helping. For the rest of the day, Thesa faced off against various Water Constructs. Lelly even got creative with their shapes. She made one in the shape of a Frogfish and another like a Minor Dragon. By the evening, Thesa had reached Level 4. The failed encounter with the Knights had been worth a lot of experience points. Depending on how much longer Merijest took to return, scrimmaging against Lelly''s Water Constructs might help her get through a few more lower Levels. Each successive Level required more experience, so eventually this approach would slow to a complete crawl. In Merijest''s absence, Thesa looked to the [System] for her new perks and abilities. Level 4 granted another spell. She opted for [Strength of Winged Boar] which would temporarily skyrocket her [Strength] and by extension her weapon damage. She also gained extra [Mana] which would increase the number spells she could cast in a short time. ¡°Lelly, thanks for all your help,¡± Thesa said as the pair re-entered the dorm. ¡°Not just today, but the whole time I''ve been here.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Lelly frowned with her eyes, but smiled with her mouth (not that Thesa could read the expression). ¡°It''s nice having company here even if the circumstances are not really ideal.¡± 20. Jumping / Landing The next day, Thesa and Lelly sparred until Thesa reached 5th Level. It would have taken longer, but Lelly also reached another Level and was able to summon more powerful Water Constructs. Thesa was pleased to discover that starting from the bottom had an advantage. When her [Paladin] Levels were stolen, Thesa lost her spells and [Blessings] and all that. She did not lose her Ability Scores. And although she had already taken Ability Score improvements as a [Paladin], the option presented itself once again. Thesa considered boosting [Strength] since that would directly contribute to the amount of damage she could do. ¡°My advice,¡± Lelly said, ¡°is to take another look at the rest of your Class Features. Including any new ones.¡± Thesa checked the short list of [Curses] she had to choose from. She quickly dismissed all but one. [Dive] was essentially short-range teleportation. The cooldown wasn''t even half bad. It scaled off of [Charisma], which was Thesa''s best stat. Thesa vanished from her spot in a puff of feathers and appeared right behind Lelly. ¡°It really is that fast!¡± ¡°AH!¡± Lelly shouted, turning in a panic. Thesa apologized profusely while putting hands to the side of her head. The jump left a metallic taste in her mouth and a slight ringing in her ear. Thesa ended up deciding to put another point toward [Charisma]. As high as the stat was, she hadn''t exactly been acing her interpersonal encounters. Plus, that made the cooldown for [Dive] even shorter. ¡°I actually think I might be useful in combat now,¡± Thesa said. The excitement wasn''t enough to totally keep her worry off of Merijest, but it made her hopeful for the future. ¡°[Floor] 55,¡± Merijest [Messaged]. ¡°I miss you,¡± Thesa replied instantaneously. ¡°You ok, Thesa?¡± Lelly asked. ¡°You just turned bright red.¡± Thesa tried to explain that Merijest was getting closer and that she was worried she just sent an embarrassing response, but she was not very intelligible. ¡°I miss you, too, kitten,¡± Merijest sent back. Thesa fell over, blushing while Lelly tried to figure out what was wrong with her friend. *** From the futon, Thesa watched Yabba cautiously explore the room. She was glad to see her [Minor Familiar] back in spirits. Yabba''s perch-nose pointed at every little thing in the room as it hopped around with renewed energy. Lelly stepped out with the [Familiars] to check something. Thesa put her hand out for Yabba and it approached. The Nest Walker rubbed its wooden frame against Thesa''s hand, looking for pets. Part of Thesa worried she might get a splinter, but she obliged anyway. ¡°Thesa?¡± Lelly''s voice came through the opening [Dungeon Seal]. ¡°There''s somebody here for you.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Thesa looked up to see Merijest and immediately leapt to her feet, running to meet the demoness in an embrace. Gaunt, scarred, and bruised, Merijest staggered. Her wings were tattered and patches of hair had fallen out around her horns. Merijest tried to say something but only a cough came out. ¡°Don''t try to talk,¡± Thesa said, leading the [High Devil] to the futon. ¡°It''s my turn to take care of you.¡± For the rest of the day, Merijest lay in states of fitful consciousness while Thesa doted over her every need. Lelly, for her part, focused on procuring food and other supplies that might help the process. Merijest [Messaged] Thesa something along the lines of ¡°thank you, kitten¡± every couple of hours. Thesa, however, did not swoon. She was too focused on taking care of her demoness. That night, Merijest slept on the futon, while Thesa tried (and failed) to get comfortable on the floor. In a brief window of consciousness, Merijest turned to see her [Witch] and beckoned for Thesa to join her on the futon. Thesa wasn''t usually a big spoon kind of gal, but she stepped up to the challenge admirably. *** After three days, Merijest¡¯s consciousness became more consistent. It was time for a new haircut. Looking at her patchy, void-black hair in the bathroom mirror, she chopped away. Thesa sat on the mushroom-cap stool, aimlessly transforming her arm into a claw and then back to normal. She was prepared to leap into protective action at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Garteth is dead,¡± the demoness said. ¡°She was the most persistent. The other two fell back after a few days, but Garteth kept after me till the bitter end. Lured her into a trap and used the disorientation to my benefit.¡± Thesa nodded. ¡°I''m just glad you''re safe,¡± she said. When Merijest finished lopping off hair, she had something like an uneven buzz cut. The sight was almost enough to break Thesa''s commitment to remaining focused and vigilant throughout Merijest''s recovery. *** The next day, Thesa and Merijest realized they would need to move soon. ¡°You keep resting,¡± Thesa said. ¡°I''ll get everything ready.¡± While her [Witch] prepped, Merijest eyed the stack of books in the room. ¡°Lelly, a woman of taste, I see,¡± the demoness called to the other room. Lelly poked her head in, ¡°what?¡± ¡°I see we have overlapping literary sensibilities,¡± Merijest chuckled as she picked up and began flipping through the latest volume of Does Falling in Love with My Arch Nemesis at Mage School Make Me a Lesbian?. In the bathroom, Thesa cleaned her armor and checked for damage that still needed repair. Lelly laughed, ¡°that is the last thing I expected to learn about a demoness.¡± ¡°What can I say, living alone at the bottom of a [Dungeon] doesn''t exactly provide an eventful day-to-day,¡± she replied. ¡°So did you only start reading after you became a demoness or have you always been a fan?¡± Lelly asked. Merijest¡¯s blue forehead wrinkled and her eyes widened in surprise. She quickly relaxed the expression. ¡°Sorry,¡± Lelly added, ¡°I didn''t mean to pry.¡± ¡°That''s alright,¡± the demoness said, noticing the copy of Plume and Granby''s Encyclopedia of Demons and Fiends at the bottom of the stack. ¡°I see you''ve been doing some research.¡± Lelly shrugged. ¡°Thesa and I took a peak while you were gone. Sorry if that was an invasion of privacy or something,¡± she said genuinely. ¡°I didn''t really think about that at the time.¡± ¡°It''s public information, I suppose,¡± Merijest sighed, pulling the book from the stack and skimming her section aloud. ¡°The active years, domain, and origin are correct, but the ¡®Alternate Names¡¯ are just pejoratives the Convent came up with. How could I be the saint of killers when I''ve never had a sapient follower? ¡°Lineage¡­¡± She followed the asterisk, ¡°¡®Merijest''s life prior to her active years is mostly unknown.¡¯ Ha! These hacks don''t know a thing.¡± ¡°Neither do I,¡± Thesa said, now leaning on the bathroom doorway. ¡°Sorry, that sounded accusative. We don''t have to talk about this right now.¡± ¡°No,¡± Merijest sighed. ¡°I suppose it''s time to share.¡± 21. History / Strategy Lelly and Thesa sat cross-legged on the floor while Merijest sat on the futon. All three had mugs of warm tea in-hand. The Cow-Dog snoozed at Merijest''s side, providing a comforting warmth. Yabba, the Nest Walker, rested on the floor beside Thesa. The KangarooHawk kept watch on the [Dungeon Floor]. Lelly had a scrap of paper and a pink pen that matched the coral which covered her head like hair. ¡°Taking notes just helps me pay attention,¡± she explained. Merijest nodded. Her feathers were puffed as if to exaggerate her size in a way that ironically emphasized her hesitation. In fact, Thesa thought Merijest might actually have become shorter but she would have to ask about that later. ¡°Before I was a demoness or a [High Devil],¡± Merijest said. ¡°I studied as a human [Wizard] at IBMC. I was mostly interested in Necromancy, but I quickly realized the school''s offerings on the subject were slim. All theory, no practice. And the theory they were teaching wasn''t even current.¡± Thesa raised a hand. ¡°What makes a [Wizard] different from a [Mage]?¡± ¡°Oh I know this!¡± Lelly chimed in. ¡°[Wizards] have a bit more focus on arcane research and really getting into the weeds of magic, while [Mages] are more focused on practicality. In some ways, a [Wizard] is like a [Cleric] without a direct connection to any particular [Deity] or a [Druid] without a connection to any particular tradition.¡± ¡°That''s about right,¡± Merijest nodded. ¡°Although, there is plenty of room for overlap. In fact, I was about to explain that I became interested in holy magic as a topic of study. I had this guiding question, the kind that a good thesis is made of.¡± As the demoness spoke, she became more animated than usual. She gestured, holding two claws facing one another as if opposed in combat. ¡°When Beautuk''s followers have splintered or disputed over doctrine and practice, why do the opposing, sometimes violent, [Clerics] and [Paladins] continue to receive magical aid from their [Deity]?¡± ¡°At the Convent,¡± Thesa said, ¡°they told us that splits only happened when other followers fell for the tricks of devils and other [Deities].¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Merijest replied, pointing a claw at her (now blushing) [Witch]. ¡°It''s a topic that comes up but usually gets explained away with apologetics that paint one side as right and the other as wrong. But that''s a hypothesis without unbiased evidence. ¡°Something I found that nobody was doing was asking the ones who were present during those schisms. Why not just use a spell like [Speak with Dead] to call up the various Prophets on either side to gather data?¡± Before Thesa could provide an answer, Merijest stood up and began pacing as she continued talking, ¡°Eventually I realized why it was impossible. My advisor sat me down and she told me so. For one thing, every one of Beautuk''s dead Prophets was in his realm, so [Speak with Dead] would not work. For another, the department was wary of any actions that might draw undue attention to the Necromantic theory being taught. It was all above board, but all it would take was a powerful person in a bad mood and they could face serious problems. ¡°I tried to forget the idea, but then I realized I could probably just cast [Greater Message] to communicate across worlds. Plenty of [Deities] allowed that kind of thing, but I found that the taboo against contacting Beautuk''s realm was pretty consistent across schisms.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°But I did it anyway. Without saying another word to my advisor, I spent months gathering components and digging through manuscripts to put together a list of Prophets worth investigating.¡± Merijest stopped pacing. ¡°When I finally cast the spell for the first time, all I heard was screaming and chaos¡­¡± Her voice became much softer. She spoke more slowly. ¡°The Prophet I was seeking sobbed. ¡®Someone has to stop him.¡¯ And then the connection was cut and I felt exposed and unsafe. Like there was something watching me.¡± Thesa shuddered as her thoughts wandered to her mother. ¡°His voice drilled into my head, ¡®Devil!¡¯ and I could feel a malicious [Blessing] take effect. My body morphed against my will. I became¡­the way you saw me when I fled the Knights.¡± Her hands went to her head as if to anxiously grab her hair, but finding only her newly shorn fuzz, she instead grabbed her horns. ¡°Fleeing from Beautuk was awful. His power is weaker outside of ItherBeau, but every port and border was suddenly on high alert for a monster matching my description. I couldn''t escape¡­ ¡°I only had one option. There''s a reason even he sends champions into [Dungeons] and never delves himself. ¡°I hopped from one [Dungeon] to the next, surviving as a monster. Fleeing adventurers, befriending strange creatures who regarded me with no greater suspicion than anything else¡­¡± She stood again as if to begin pacing, but stopped herself and sat back down. ¡°Sorry, I think I''ll need to stop there for now.¡± Thesa reached out a hand. Merijest took it. The demoness cracked a smile beneath lowered eyebrows and a raised forehead. ¡°Any questions?¡± she said. ¡°What about your family?¡± Lelly asked, looking up from a scribble of notes. ¡°Wait, was that a rhetorical question?¡± Merijest nodded, remembering the pair she was talking to. ¡°It was meant as a joke, but to make a long story short, I hadn''t spoken to them in years.¡± Then she added, ¡°There¡¯s not as much to tell there except that they wanted me to be their son but I knew I couldn''t do that¡­¡± Thesa and Lelly both nodded. *** Some hours later, Thesa and Merijest were ready to take off, although they hadn''t yet chosen a destination. ¡°I think I could be more useful in combat with [Dive],¡± Thesa said. ¡°But I have no idea what the Convent will be sending after us next.¡± ¡°Ultimately we have two options,¡± Merijest said. ¡°We descend until we''re all the way at the bottom where we wait for a mob of Knights to corner and kill us, or we keep going up and leave this dungeon behind.¡± ¡°Descending could increase Thesa''s Level,¡± Lelly noted. ¡°Most of what''s down from here is either traps or [Familiars] I already picked up on the way. And our chances of running into adventuring parties would be decreased if we''re moving in the same direction,¡± Merijest said. ¡°Besides that, it would put you at risk, Lelly. More Knights descending here would increase your chance of an encounter.¡± ¡°Some of the Knights have abilities that can detect allegiances and they will definitely be able to recognize that the KangarooHawk and Cow-Dog are Merijest''s [Familiars],¡± Thesa added. Lelly nodded. ¡°Our best bet is to climb with stealth,¡± Merijest concluded. ¡°We can''t beat the Knights in a direct fight, but we might be able to make it past them to the surface. From there, we''ll need to get more distance between us and the Convent. This dungeon is past its purpose.¡± All three agreed on the plan, with Lelly again remaining behind to manage her [Floor] and stay out of direct conflict. ¡°Also, Lelly,¡± Merijest said. ¡°If you need to retreat from this [Floor] and you make it to the bottom, you have my permission to use my dwelling. And if you go into the library off the main room, check the trapdoor underneath the smallest bookcase.¡± She winked. With thanks in all directions, Thesa, Merijest, and Yabba left [Floor] 65 for the second time. Bonus Short Story: Becoming Merijest The grounds of ItherBeau Mage College were thick with rain that hung in the air like a cold sweat. Dampness clung to Merijest''s face and legs, gluing hair to cheek and skirt to thigh. She walked without looking down, steps landing unperturbed in puddles and mud. A thick sweater ambiguated the shape of her torso. The bag on her shoulders buckled with every step. Again and again, its weight resisting each change in momentum before committing to yet another temporary trajectory. [Greater Message] was not a suspicious spell in itself, she reminded herself. Nobody would question her about it. Although she still worried what to say if they did. Contacting Beautuk¡¯s Realm was perhaps the only taboo consistent across every schism. At an apartment just off campus, the most stable place she''d ever lived, Merijest greeted her cat. She placed the heavy bag on the floor with a squelching thwap and stripped away her clingy, wet clothing. Casting [Greater Message] required just a few components, although hard to come by: A ten-foot spool of copper wire, hair of a Skin Goose, a glass sphere. She bathed in a warm tub, holding her cold feet as close to the enchanted runes as she could without getting burned. From a mug, she sipped the warm, gender-affirming potion that kept her body consistent with her mind. She was any other human woman. The last component was the least expected. [Greater Message] required a few phrases of the Dead Tongue. It seemed that according to the System, or whatever magic it governed, anything in another plain of reality was as good as dead regardless of what people called it. Her bag, dripping on the outside, had kept most of the wetness from the heavy tome within. An introductory text on the Dead Tongue. The language was closely guarded by practicing Necromancers, but the most basic parts were out there for anyone who knew where to look. Merijest always knew where to look. The dense book, for all its gravitas, contained very little direct information. For one thing, the legal precarity of necromancy demanded a careful hand of anyone wishing to avoid violent retribution. On top of that, the volatile nature of the language meant that copying it down could have corporeal consequences. Instead, the book required her to jump through hoops, mentally connecting words and diagrams which had been carefully portioned into inert pieces. Merijest spent the week''s end inside, puzzling over the jigsawed information. The weather stayed the same so that the sun never clearly rose or set in the cloudy sky. One could only tell by the degrees of ambient light leaking through that anything changed between high noon and the dead of night. Merijest noticed none of it. The Dead Tongue was ensnaring. The magical capacity in even phrases was incredible, and the necromantic perspective on magic made more sense of the world around her than any bare platitudes from [Clerics] and [Paladins] ever had. For hours at a time she forgot her larger goal, only consumed in the gaping maw of excitement. She let it swallow her whole and on the third day she was something new but something sick. The pairing of great interest with the great restraints imposed by law and by custom¡­ the dissonance was dizzying. ¡°Is this school even the right place for this?¡± Merijest asked her cat. The cat, a long-haired domestic Magpion, opened its beak and chirped in reply. It understood nothing and the chirps were unrelated, but Merijest appreciated the rhythm such faux conversations could give her racing thoughts. ¡°Not only is the school named after Beautuk, but even the country is,¡± she continued. ¡°but transferring would be so difficult and I don¡¯t have the money. So maybe I¡¯ll study something else¡­¡± But she knew that wouldn¡¯t happen. Beautuk¡¯s followers seemed to splinter and dispute over doctrine and practice every decade or so. But then, why did the opposing, sometimes violent, [Clerics] and [Paladins] continue to receive magical aid from their [Deity]? She was stuck on this question and she needed answers.
Merijest looked out the front window of her apartment. The view was small, foggy, and speckled with rain. She raised a sheet of black cloth over the glass and did the same to each of the other windows in her apartment.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Later, the glass sphere rested in the semi-coiled nest of copper wire. From that dense center, the wire continued into a larger spiral. The other end of copper, furthest from the center, was wrapped carefully around the single strand of Skin Goose hair. ¡°No, you cannot step all over my spell components,¡± Merijest said to her cat. ¡°Please wait outside of the spiral.¡± The cat ruffled its feathers and although it did not understand Merijest¡¯s words, it eventually got the hint after the tenth-or-so time it had to be picked up and moved away from the copper. Enchanted lamps glowed dimly about the room, making up for what little outside light might be waiting at the rainy, covered windows. Merijest knew not the time nor the day, but she knew the spell was at hand. She knew it was time to cast. With another warm potion, she warmed her lips and tongue. To practice the Dead Tongue was to invoke it. Without a mentor more-versed in its usage, there was no room for error. After banishing her cat (aka locking it in her room for a few minutes), Merijest sat beside the spell components and worked her hands through the air in the practiced patterns of a [Wizard] with more free time and obsession than friends or obligations. Merijest began, ¡°Virsrikziot, ithliinthik virvir, ithzberliinthik virvir, ithkevvithikik virvir.¡± Between each word, Merijest breathed heavily. She felt exhaustion sweeping her muscles in swelling waves. Under the light of now-flickering enchanted lamps, each component looked as if surrounded by a visual haze that resembled the experience of viewing something under water. Merijest continued speaking. Any fear of error which she harbored was swiftly overtaken. Each illicit word increased the momentum of her casting. Just as the study of the same had done in the days prior, the experience of speaking the Dead Tongue had captured her now. The insides of her cheeks buzzed with numbness as her lips and tongue fluttered through magical utterances. Now she was the maw and the thing to be devoured was of little consequence. Fog and light swirled together and for a moment Merijest felt for a moment that her communication faculties existed nowhere. Some part of her was at the top of a parabola, half-way through a journey in some medium beyond all else. As her senses completed the journey to Beautuk¡¯s Realm, she heard screams. She saw a realm oversaturated with light. She smelled blistering meat. Her mouth and mind, so worn by the Dead Tongue, staggered to process it all. The nearest figure, abscessed and bubbling but perhaps the Prophet Merijest had called to, spoke through racking sobs. ¡°Someone has to stop him,¡± the Prophet said. What could she say? Her physical body should be safe in her apartment, but the memory of this place alone was sure to bring endless nausea. Her thoughts riffled through the now-scattered memories of her spell. Ending the spell now was the safest choice. From a distance both endless and finite in the alternate realm of light, a golden figure took a single step across the vast narrow and just as Merijest began uttering the reverse incantation a searing hand reached for her wrist. The realm before her blurred and again she found herself momentarily nowhere. Again she spoke almost automatically, whatever she had struggled to remember in a moment of shock had not mattered because something, be it her mind or body or something altogether separate from her, propelled her enchanted speech. But as everything that had traveled returned to her body, Merijest discovered with horror that the being of blazing light had not been reaching for some illusory avatar which represented her in Beautuk¡¯s Realm. Instead, this being, who was Beautuk himself, had reached across to Merijest¡¯s physical body. Air rushed toward a vacuous pillar of light and the skin around her wrist was charring and bubbling. The word ¡®Devil!¡¯ struck Merijest as if in the very maw she had opened when speaking the Dead Tongue. It throbbed like a migraine as Beautuk¡¯s glowing hand wrenched her from the floor on which she sat and threw her across the room with a clatter. The enchanted lamps in Merijest¡¯s apartment were now painfully bright and the windows had shattered, glass shredding gaps in the cloth coverings. The rain outside was replaced in an instant by a miracle of blue sky and harsh sunlight. The walls, too, were shaking apart. From her bedroom, Merijest heard her cat cawing and flapping its wings. Its cries became further away but no less pronounced and Merijest had to assume the broken windows had offered a chance to escape. Without time to comprehend the way her body was now blistering and twisting, she charged out the front door. Unevenly, her limbs lengthened. First her forearms and shins extended as her skin burned away to reveal flesh raw, wet, and blue. As her upper arms and femurs began to stretch, feathers and scales sprouted through her new skin with tiny bursts of blood. Everything was burning and stretching and twisting. She stumbled like a newborn calf through the blazing light of the day before taking flight with wings she hadn¡¯t yet noticed. Even in the air, her limbs buckled and wobbled. She tasted blood and vomit in the back of her throat. No matter how much distance she put between herself and the miracle behind her, the heat continued to pummel her. She needed to get away from the heat and the light and the day. She needed a dungeon. 22. Work / Grift [Floor] 52 was the same as it had been the first time they passed through it. A series of clues lead the pair to dig up chests in each chamber. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t trigger the Dirt Constructs this time,¡± Thesa promised. The memory of her previous, anxiety-fueled mistakes nagged at her. ¡°No, you will,¡± Merijest said, ¡°You need to train your Level.¡± Her tone was firm and something stirred in Thesa¡¯s chest as she realized Merijest was in charge again. Without a misstep, Thesa triggered every Dirt Construct the [Floor] had to offer. Merijest was right. While stealth was first on their priority list, boosting Thesa''s Level was second. No more taking experience as it came. [Floor] 50 looked almost the same, but the site of their encounter with the Knights was spotless. Yagaba was hesitant to even enter the [Floor]. Thesa held the Nest-Walker''s box-torso like a wooden baby. ¡°Did you¨C¡± Thesa started to say. ¡°Kelreyn¡­delivered them¡­¡± Merijest said, forcing the words out. Thesa leaned against the closest wall and slid to the floor. Yagaba creaked sympathetically. Merijest remained standing. ¡°I¨C¡± Thesa started, unable to complete the thought. She looked at her own hands. ¡°We are going to save them too.¡± Merijest crouched and sat beside her [Witch]. Detecting the guilt Thesa was feeling for her prior involvement with the Knights, she continued, ¡°you are repaying your debt. You didn''t know any better.¡± ¡°Do they know better?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Do they know what they are a part of?¡± Her breathing quickened. Merijest sighed. ¡°It''s not just that you didn''t know. It¡¯s that when you had the chance to learn, you took it at great personal cost. Not everyone is willing to rethink their whole life and value system. Honestly, it''s a miracle you listened to me at all.¡± Merijest put a hand on Thesa''s shoulder and continued. ¡°Most of the time, people are resistant to changing their minds. It takes time. Usually it also relies on someone''s social circle being destabilized alongside the establishment of new social circles that offer stability with different value systems. It¡¯s not the only way it happens, but anything else is uncommon.¡± Before Thesa could point out that her social circle was pretty destabilized by the whole dying thing, Merijest reminded her, ¡°you gave me a chance before you died. When you stood to gain everything from continuing without doubt.¡± ¡°You changed your mind,¡± Thesa said, momentarily meeting Merijest''s gaze. ¡°Well, I was never a follower of Beautuk and I didn''t really have an established social identity to threaten. My only friend was my cat and she didn¡¯t really have opinions about the shape of the world as a whole. Not to mention Beautuk forced my hand when he [Blessed] me to become a demoness,¡± Merijest replied. ¡°I guess he forced both of our hands in a way,¡± Thesa said. Her heart still beat quickly, but she felt strangely calm. ¡°I know we need to sneak by them, but when I do come face to face with any of the Knights again, I want to give them another chance before we fight.¡± Merijest stood up. ¡°I wish I shared your optimism,¡± she said. ¡°Not optimism. Call it a responsibility and a calling,¡± Thesa said as Merijest helped her up. *** In a menagerie on [Floor] 48, a pair of [Rogues] (a rat-folk and a halfling) slipped unnoticed past a flock of Skin Geese. Crouched amid flowers they¡¯d never seen before, the [Rogues] had a singular mission in the [Dungeon].The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. On the other side of the menagerie, Thesa, Merijest and Yabba hid behind a thicket of trees, playing amid strange flowers. Among the flora Yabba circled and stared at the Grackle Lilies which had somehow spread to this [Floor]. ¡°Should we fight them?¡± Merijest [Messaged]. ¡°After I try talking to them?¡± Thesa replied. ¡°Sure,¡± Merijest sent back. ¡°We can confront them first. I don''t have a lot of hope for [Rogues] who think they can just slip their way to the bottom of a [Dungeon]. Difficult to trust, but I won''t stop you.¡± ¡°They might be powerful,¡± Thesa replied. ¡°Any [Rogue] so easily spotted is¡­not very powerful.¡± Merijest shrugged. ***
Skin Geese Rank: B Attacks: Bite, Knock Down, Sensory Hijacking Notes: Powerful illusionists, the Skin Goose is formidable alone and insurmountable in flocks.
*** As the [Rogues] approached the stairway to the next level, Merijest called to them. ¡°Looking for something?¡± Having been made, the rat-folk spun around, hands up and the halfling darted to the side, only to stumble over the little Nest Walker in their way. As Merijest had suspected: impulsive, low-Level [Rogues] whose only chance of success was the benefit of surprise. ¡°Who, us?¡± The rat-folk said. The halfling joined in, ¡°pl-pleasure to meet your acquaintance, uh¨C madam. What can we do for you?¡± Confused, Thesa asked, ¡°you don¡¯t know who she is?¡± The halfling backed their way over to the rat-folk and elbowed their compatriot. The rat-folk said, ¡°F-f-forgive us, madam, are you the [Core] of this here [Dungeon]? We¨Cwe thought this was one of those uh¨C [Dungeon] mimic thingies! See we, um, we are just after some gold and¨C and¨C¡± Thesa and Merijest looked at each other. The halfling took over, ¡°¨Cand we didn''t mean to take from anybody! Right Grilby?¡± Grilby the rat-folk shook their head way too fast and said, ¡°course not! We would never want to inconvenience a fine lady as yourself.¡± The pair finally paused long enough for Thesa to get in another word. ¡°Are you here on behalf of Beautuk or the Convent?¡± she asked. ¡°Wh-what Convent?¡± Grilby replied. ¡°I never heard of a Convent, did you hear something about a Convent, Thistle?¡± ¡°Me? No, never,¡± Thistle the halfling answered. ¡°We¡¯re not from around here.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Thesa looked up at Merijest again. ¡°I think they''re lying. But I also think if they''re willing to trade us some information, I might be persuaded to allow them the privilege of turning around and leaving.¡± Thistle and Grilby looked at one another making increasingly strange facial expressions until they simultaneously fell on their feet groveling. ¡°Oh thank you, Lady Merijest,¡± Grilby cried. ¡°Your forgiveness is boundless,¡± Thistle added. ¡°It''s really not,¡± Merijest corrected. ¡°So tell me what you know and get lost.¡± ¡°Y-y-yes, madam!¡± Grilby replied. ¡°Just thought we could be the first to get the bounty on your head, madam.¡± ¡°It''s nothing personal, of course, my lady,¡± Thistle interjected. ¡°We just work for the pay, madam.¡± ¡°Are there other adventurers descending the [Dungeon]?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Oh I should say so,¡± Thistle said. Then realizing their peppy tone, went on with exaggerated dismay, ¡°You see, my lady, the bounty is simply enormous. Enough to change the life of any young rat-folk or halfling.¡± Grilby joined Thistle in a dramatic pose, leaned back with hands at their foreheads as if ready to faint. ¡°Good to know,¡± Merijest nodded. ¡°Now go!¡± Thistle and Grilby did something between a nod and a bow. They repeated the move a dozen times each before zipping off, back toward the surface. ¡°I didn''t even get to ask them to join us,¡± Thesa sighed. ¡°Sorry, kitten,¡± Merijest said, ruffling Thesa''s hair. ¡°Hopefully they scare away some of the other adventurers on their way up, but I doubt it. You''ll have plenty of chances to recruit.¡± From there, the demoness swiftly befriended the Skin Geese, making them each a [Familiar]. The flock had eggs to guard, so they remained on [Floor] 48. Merijest hoped she could find more [Familiars] to join the party soon. They would need more strength in numbers to avoid a repeat of [Floor] 50. 23. Hide / Surprise The menagerie theme continued into [Floor] 47 where Merijest spotted a solitary Foxtapus trotting around its habitat. Its eight tentacle-tails were held low. When the creature saw Merijest, it paused, looking around itself briefly before taking careful steps toward the new presence. ¡°Oh you are just adorable,¡± the demoness said, reaching out her hand with retracted claws for the Foxtapus to investigate. During her recent¡­dash through many of these [Floors], there hadn''t been any time to stop and appreciate the strange life in the [Dungeon]. Time was still limited, but this would be worth the investment. Thesa watched thoughtfully. It was pretty impressive just how good Merijest was at getting non-sapient creatures to trust her. After a brief intrusive thought wondered if that meant she was herself non-sapient, Thesa realized Merijest had already made the creature a [Familiar]. ***
Foxtapus Rank: B Attacks: Claws, Bite, Psionic Shields, Psionic Whirls Notes: Each of the Foxtapus''s eight tentacle-tails has its own brain. The term for more than one ¡®Foxtapus¡¯ is ¡®Foxtaplural¡¯.
*** The chambers and halls on [Floor] 45 resembled that of a castle. Merijest traced her hand along brick walls as she walked. ¡°It''s the same as when I hid here before,¡± she said. ¡°This [Floor] has several secret chambers and passageways.¡± ¡°Should we find one and make camp?¡± Thesa asked. She walked at the back of the group, observing the playful interactions between Yabba and the Foxtapus. ¡°Only once we''ve cleared every chamber to make sure there are no Knights or adventurers,¡± Merijest said, stopping at a fork in the corridor. ¡°They could be hiding in a nook, watching us as we speak,¡± Thesa gulped. ¡°First let''s check the obvious ones,¡± Merijest continued. She pointed at a nearby wall where the inset door was immediately visible. Directly across from the door, Merijest pushed a brick. With a click and the slow churn of some hidden mechanism, the door slid open. Sure enough, as the door opened, a trio of adventurers came barreling out. One among them, a dryad [Alchemist] shouted ¡°to arms!¡± and several could be heard opening at other places on the [Floor]. ¡°Wait,¡± Thesa shouted. ¡°Please listen! Beautuk has been lying.¡± The [Alchemist] did not wait for Thesa to finish. They hurled a glass bottle. Before it could reach Thesa''s face, she activated [Arrow Time] and ducked. Before the effect wore off, she used [Dive] to appear behind the dryad, striking the back of their head just as time resumed its normal speed.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The dryad fell to the ground and the other two adventurers looked at each other before raising their weapons. One, a lykin [Sorcerer], bared their wolfish fangs and unleashed a burst of electricity into Thesa. The other, a human [Swashbuckler], threw a knife at Thesa''s chest, but it bounced off of her violet breastplate. Then they flipped through the air to get more distance. At this point, Merijest stepped in and intercepted the [Swashbuckler] by the neck before tossing them to the ground like nothing. The demoness tilted her head lazily and cracked her knuckles as a dozen icicles formed and impaled her target. The sounds of cries and footsteps grew closer in every direction. The Foxtapus let out an echoing bark and flared its eight tentacle tails. The suckers on each tail began to glow a neon cerulean, each one releasing a small orb of energy which floated a few feet before morphing into small magic shields. ¡°I didn''t know they could do that,¡± Thesa remarked. Four more adventurers came into view, looking for a way through the Foxtapus¡¯s shields. Thesa shouted over the clattering armor, ¡°Beautuk. Is. Lying. To. Everyone.¡± None slowed their charge so Thesa used [Dive]. As she appeared behind them, a metallic taste filled her mouth. ¡°Please listen,¡± she said. When the attackers turned and took swings on her, Thesa sent a [Message] to Merijest and all four attackers were swiftly impaled by ice crystals. One last pair of adventurers arrived at either end of the corridor, a lionkin [Barbarian] face-to-face with Thesa and a living-stone [Cleric] charging Merijest. The lionkin swung a heavy sword into Thesa, knocking her into a brief stumble. As she regained her footing, Thesa cast [Blindfold] and in the ensuing confusion, grabbed the [Barbarian] by the shoulders and tossed them into one of the Foxtapus''s magic shields. With a thrust of her halberd, the enemy fell. Merijest dodged through an array of energy bolts toward the [Cleric], getting up-close and personal with her claws. Hearing no more adventurers, Thesa spoke. ¡°Was that all?¡± she asked. ¡°We should double check every room,¡± Merijest replied. They rounded through one secret chamber after another, and, finding nothing, Merijest directed Thesa to help open a final, more difficult to access, secret area. Thesa pushed on the same brick which Merijest had used to open the first secret chamber while Merijest pulled a lever (disguised as a statue''s arm) on the other side of the [Floor]. With a low click and a whirring noise, the final secret door opened at the back of a third secret passage. ¡°This is where I was when I [Messaged] you on this [Floor],¡± Merijest said. Thesa almost asked how Merijest had managed to open it on her own, but remembering that Merijest''s wyrmic form had exceedingly long limbs. She still hadn¡¯t had a chance to ask if Merijest was actually able to change size at will, but she was starting to get the hint from how the demoness might appear taller when going into combat or making a point and how her wings more obviously shrank to fit through doorways. While Merijest reset some of the secret doors to better obscure their location, Thesa set up the tent and bedrolls. Since reuniting after [Floor] 50, Thesa was now sleeping in the cramped tent with Merijest every night. Later, sitting around beside a fire, Thesa said, ¡°At least I got a lot of experience from the fight.¡± ¡°You did great, kitten,¡± Merijest smiled. Blushing, Thesa continued her train of thought, ¡°Did you get an idea of how powerful Peter was? I didn''t see much of his abilities during our encounter.¡± ¡°I would place him around Level 10,¡± Merijest said. ¡°Certainly not powerful enough to take me down himself¡­for now.¡± ¡°But how does that happen? I haven''t been gone from the Convent that long. It takes time to be admitted into training as a Knight and more time to become competently Leveled. Is he multiclassing or something?¡± ¡°The cooldown on his [Castigate] [Blessing] suggested at least 10 Levels of [Paladin], but also likely below Level 12.¡± Merijest shrugged. Then, seeing the rising panic in her [Witch], she took Thesa''s hand in hers. 24. Sweet / Parasitic An aroma of ginger and sugar wafted throughout [Floor] 43. Everything looked like it was made of candy and sweets. ¡°This is definitely new,¡± Thesa said, poking at a gumdrop embedded in the corridor wall. ¡°Most of the time I''m not certain if I''ve been to a [Floor] before and forgot or if the Imitative Cavern changed things around. But this is pretty distinct.¡± She pulled a piece of the gumdrop free and held it to her nose ¡°Don¡¯t put that in your mouth,¡± Merijest said. Deflated, Thesa tried (and failed) to put the piece back. Further into the [Floor] was a chamber with what looked almost like a dog house made of gingerbread and decked out in icing. ¡°Wait, do you think there are like Gingerbread Constructs shaped like dogs?¡± Thesa asked excitedly as a dog-sized Gingerbread Tarantula descended from the ceiling on buttercream webbing above her. ***
Gingerbread Tarantula Rank: D Attacks: Buttercream Silk, Blood Fangs Notes: Less dangerous one-on-one, colonies build layered complexes of candied web where they collectively consume their prey.
*** The creature pounded on Thesa¡¯s head, knocking her over and producing a shriek (from Thesa) as it began to cover her in buttercream silk. As Merijest began to cast an offensive spell, she looked up to see a whole colony of Gingerbread Tarantulas in a complex net. Most were skittering toward Thesa while another was poised about Merijest, Yabba, and the Foxtapus. The chamber ceiling went a lot higher than the demoness had expected. She hesitated momentarily but The Foxtapus¡¯s tentacle tails glowed as it summoned four spinning disks of magic energy which severed the connecting web between Thesa¡¯s attacker and the rest of the colony. While Thesa continued to struggle against the arachnoid, Yabba decided it was time to demonstrate a new ability. With a creaking noise drowned out by buzzing, a seemingly endless cloud of ethereal flies buzzed out of its¡­eye? pupil? face hole? and swarmed toward Thesa¡¯s attacker. They weren¡¯t much help, being tiny flies against a large spider-adjacent creature, but the thought was nice. Merijest finally acted, spearing the Gingerbread Tarantula that had almost finished encasing Thesa and firing a flurry of icicles into the mess of webbing above. This brought a couple dozen arachnoids falling to the ground, and unfortunately, none seemed perturbed by the drop distance. ¡°We need to get out of this room,¡± Merijest shouted. Thesa nodded from her prone position before using [Dive] to appear in the corridor just outside. She was still covered in a lot of buttercream silk, but it was something. The Foxtapus used the spinning whorls of energy to cut a path to Thesa. Yabba charged toward Thesa as well but stepped one of its little chicken legs into sticky webbing and tripped. ¡°Fuck,¡± Merijest shouted as she ran (flying around arachnoids is a bad idea) past pouncing attackers, scooped up Yabba, and made it to the doorway where Thesa had just finished freeing herself enough to stand and run. They retreated just to the stairs. ¡°If we can funnel them,¡± Thesa said, ¡°we can probably take them.¡± Merijest agreed and with the help of Yabba¡¯s weird fly-summoning ability, they lured Gingerbread Tarantulas a couple at a time to destroy. ¡°Who would even make constructs like that?¡± Thesa wondered. ¡°Are they just a product of the [Dungeon]?¡± ¡°There¡¯s more to it than that,¡± Merijest said, though she wasn¡¯t sure what more there was. ¡°Too bad they¡¯re empty constructs. A colony of arachnoids could be a pretty useful ally against more adventurers.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­too bad,¡± Thesa said, thankful that they wouldn¡¯t be bringing any of the Gingerbread Tarantulas with them. *** The next chamber was decorated with pillars of peppermint. The spirals of red and white were almost disorienting. At the center of the room, a similarly swirled pedestal displayed an axe with a candy-cane handle and a polished iron blade. Having learned nothing from the previous room, Thesa ran up and lifted the axe with her non-dominant hand. ¡°Cool! A magic item,¡± she said. Luckily, nothing happened. ¡°Probably not a great idea to grab stuff without thinking,¡± Merijest said, still standing by the entrance. ¡°Oh¡­you might be right¡­¡± Thesa said. She was holding out the axe for Yabba and the Foxtapus to investigate. ¡°But what if this is like one of those themed [Dungeon Floors] where you need a special item to get through?¡± ¡°There are safer ways to investigate a strange item,¡± Merijest said. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Convent teach you this kind of caution before sending you into a [Dungeon]?¡± ¡°Yeah, they did. I just got excited¡­¡± Merijest shook her head and laughed. ¡°You really are just too cute sometimes, kitten.¡± In that moment, the color in Thesa¡¯s face came to rival the red stripes of her new ax. ¡°Any idea what it does?¡± Merijest continued. ¡°I don¡¯t have any identification spells,¡± Thesa shrugged. She handed the axe to Merijest who spoke a brief incantation. After a few minutes, she said, ¡°it''s called the Menthic Ax. It deals cold damage and returns when thrown. Although¡­¡± Merijest hesitated. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Merijest decided (correctly) that Thesa would probably dislike drawing out the reveal, so she tried to get to the point as fast as possible. ¡°There¡¯s a Peppermint Wyrm attached to the axe and when you picked it up, the creature was most likely¡­implanted¡­under your skin.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Thesa¡¯s whole body shuddered and kept shuddering. ¡°Ew ew ew ew no no ew no ew ew¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°The good news is that it''s just an egg right now,¡± Merijest said, this time misjudging what constituted ¡®good news.¡¯ ¡°How do we get rid of it,¡± Thesa said, shaking her arm like that would help (it would not). ¡°If you really need it gone this instant, we could amputate your arm,¡± Merijest shrugged. ¡°But I don''t have the kind of healing magic that can grow a new one. Without some pretty advanced medical spells, you will have to wait for it to grow large enough for removal.¡± Thesa weighed the pros and cons of amputation. This took several minutes. ¡°Ok, ok, I''m ok,¡± Thesa lied. ¡°Let''s keep moving.¡± ¡°You sure you don''t want to take a break?¡± Merijest asked. ¡°You seem¡­on edge.¡± ¡°I''m fine,¡± Thesa said. She worried that if they sat still too long she would do the amputation herself. A distraction was needed. Near the exit to the peppermint chamber, Yabba scouted a small treasure chest behind a pillar. Thesa''s testing revealed no Mimic, so she popped it open to find a map of the [Floor].
¡°Well this is great,¡± Thesa said, reading the now-useless warnings about the past two rooms. ¡°At least it will get us out of here faster.¡± ¡°Any interest in checking out the ¡®WoggleWumpy Weapon-Storage¡¯ for gear?¡± Merijest asked. ¡°What the hell is a WoggleWumpy? Also, no. No more equipment from this [Floor],¡± Thesa replied. ¡°Let''s just cut right through to the stairs as fast as possible.¡± *** The chamber marked ¡®Gumdrop Slime!!!¡¯ had been labeled accurately. The walls and ceiling were embedded with dozens of large gummy candy pieces coated in granules of sugar. As the party entered, several of these gumdrops dislodged from the wall and began oozing toward one another. Thesa watched in horrified remembrance of almost eating part of a gumdrop earlier on the [Floor]. As individual globs made contact, they began to seep together into larger blobs. Merijest watched curiously. Slimes were generally pretty slow. Thesa noticed her [Stake]¡¯s nonchalance. ¡°Aren''t Slimes usually immune to cold damage?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, but I can cast some spells with damage types like fire or electricity. Even though my strongest spells are cold based, I have some back ups for cases like this,¡± Merijest said. ¡°Although, considering the Menthic Axe, it''s possible that it is only vulnerable to cold damage.¡± Thesa considered this, unhappy to think about the Menthic Axe clipped to her belt. On the other hand, maybe if she threw it into the Gumdrop Slime, it would get stuck and that would somehow kill the Peppermint Wyrm? It wasn''t logic as much as wishful thinking but Thesa took hold of the axe and her unfounded hope, hurling them both at the now singular Gumdrop Slime. On contact, a huge portion of the creature''s gelatinous body solidified, lodging the axe within, only for it to launch itself out, breaking the frozen portion of the creature''s body and returning to Thesa''s hand. To Thesa''s dismay, it was actually pretty cool. ¡°Wait, did you want to befriend this thing?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Slimes don''t neatly fit into the concepts of sapience and non-sapience. I mean, they are not sapient, but they''re very different from other non-sapient creatures,¡± Merijest explained. ¡°I have always wanted to understand the experience of a giant slime mold, but have never found a way to communicate with them. Let''s not kill the whole thing, but we do need to get past it without being consumed.¡± The demoness put her arms around Thesa''s waist and lifted into the air, gliding around the disoriented(?) Gumdrop Slime. At the same time, the Foxtapus surrounded itself and Yabba in magic energy, causing each to float across the room as well. ***
Gumdrop Slime Rank: D-B (according to size) Attacks: Combine, Absorb Notes: Slow moving and weak to cold damage, the Gumdrop Slime is nonetheless problematic for its immunity to edge, point, and blunt damage.
*** The Maple Sugar Pit in the next room was gross in its own way. At first, it looked like the room was empty with only a large, dusty pit that spread to the walls with small footholds at each doorway. At the first echo of footsteps, however, the head of an enormous creature burrowed out from beneath the floor of maple sugar, its maw was a gaping circle from wall-to-wall with syrupy saliva strung throughout. It wasn''t aggressive. It sat waiting. Merijest made a ¡®hmm¡¯ noise and tapped her chin. ¡°Better make sure of something,¡± she said before producing a floating ball of ice and sending it gliding across the gap. As the ice moved, the creature''s maw inhaled forcefully, sucking in the ice and almost knocking everyone in the party off balance. ***
Mawlasses Rank: A Attacks: Inhale, Burrow Notes: With suction to rival the swift wings of a full-grown Wygeonroc, the Mawlasses is not to be underestimated.
*** ¡°Well that''s distressing,¡± Thesa pouted. ¡°We may need to investigate the rest of the [Floor] for anything that might help us across,¡± Merijest said. ¡°I thought maybe I could get it to clamp down on a decoy long enough for us to cross, but¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°Maybe I could throw the ax? or my halberd?¡± Thesa wondered. She really wanted off this floor as quickly as possible. ¡°Sure, that could¨C¡± Merijest paused at the sound of something across the way. She grabbed Thesa¡¯s hand and pulled her back into the corridor. ¡°Cast your [Darkness] spell on this hallway,¡± she [Messaged]. Thesa did what was asked of her. Entering at the other side of the chamber, a tuxedo-clad mantis-kin led a seemingly-confused party and spoke, ¡°don''t fear the Mawlasses, ladies and germs. A hungry fella for sure, but all he needs is a good feeding from his good friend the Candy Mantis and that good friend just so happens to be me.¡± The Candy Mantis bowed before flicking his wrist to summon a rain of sugar and lozenges. The Mawlasses quickly inhaled the lot of it and burrowed back beneath the ground. Did this guy rule or suck? Thesa couldn''t decide, but Merijest was a confident hater. ¡°I''ve seen this guy before I took up residence in this [Dungeon],¡± she said. ¡°I should have put it together before. He takes up residence in Imitative Caverns and takes over the whole [Floors].¡± The Candy Mantis conjured a lemon-candy bridge and led the adventurer''s to his right where they exited toward the WoggleWumpy Weapon-Storage. ¡°Didn''t you take over the whole [Dungeon]?¡± Thesa mused. ¡°That''s different,¡± Merijest scoffed. ¡°I integrated with the wildlife that was already here. This guy wants to clear out one whole [Floor] at a time, replacing the natural creatures with his weird Candy Constructs until he has control of the whole [Dungeon].¡± ¡°Well, should we do something about it?¡± ¡°He''s a powerful magician,¡± Merijest sighed. ¡°We probably don''t have the time or energy to fight him right now.¡± ¡°I guess the adventurers are probably here for us too so we can''t let them see us,¡± Thesa agreed. ¡°Maybe we can come back later?¡± Merijest was doubtful, but rather than argue, she said ¡°Let''s go back.¡± As they turned to retreat down the passageway, a thick peanut-brittle door sprang up in the doorway. ¡°Tsk tsk, Merijest. Is that anyway to treat an old friend?¡± 25. Charming / Obnoxious Their exits cut off, Thesa and Merijest spun around, now face-to-face with the Candy Mantis, who was floating near the center of the room. ¡°Barmoletz,¡± Merijest scoffed. ¡°So you got run out of another [Dungeon] and you think this ecosystem is up for grabs?¡± ¡°Backwards, you¡¯ve got it, dear,¡± the tuxedo-clad mantis-kin said with a sweeping gesture. ¡°Take your eyes away from the looking glass and see that I am thriving. My previous [Dungeon] was a smashing success. Still is, by the way. You¡¯ve caught me in the middle of a brand new venture. I¡¯m expanding into a second property.¡± He twiddled his raptorial fingers, tapping them together. This guy talks more than me, Thesa thought. Merijest rolled her eyes. ¡°Congratulations,¡± she said sardonically. ¡°We¡¯ll just be on our way.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk tsk,¡± the Candy Mantis clicked. ¡°I simply must give you a tour. My renovations have only just begun but I have a vision, you see.¡± From off in the WoggleWumpy Weapon-Storage, the sound of shouting adventurers echoed. Barmoletz continued, ¡°You¡¯ve hardly seen half of the [Floor], my dear friend.¡± He gestured to the axe on Thesa¡¯s belt. Then he broke into a mid-air cartwheel and said in a sing-song voice, ¡°Here at the Sweet Sector, surprises simultaneously silly and scrumdiddly surround the smart sellsword so start seeing the stupendous and simply savor the sights!¡± The shouting in the next room stopped. Thesa [Messaged] Merijest, ¡°What do we do? Is he just going to drop us in the Mawlasses?¡± ¡°That would be too simple. The melodrama is more than an act. He¡¯s actually just like that. This is definitely a trap, but it will be more dramatic.¡± ¡°But why have a giant gaping maw if you¡¯re not going to throw people in it?¡± ¡°Because he thinks it makes him unpredictable. Just follow along and wait for my signal.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Merijest sighed. ¡°Show us the rest of the [Floor].¡± ¡°Delightful!¡± The Candy Mantis said, landing on the ground beside the party as he conjured another bridge toward the WoggleWumpy Weapon-Storage. Yabba and the Foxtapus followed with wariness written all over their cautious steps. ¡°What exactly is a WoggleWumpy?¡± Thesa asked. She wasn¡¯t super excited about going through more rooms considering everything that had happened on this [Floor] already, but she trusted Merijest¡¯s judgment and did her best to swallow the mix of fear and disgust that gurgled up at the mere possibilities. Merijest¡¯s eyes tightened in anticipation of whatever nonsense reply Barmoletz would come up with. ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of WoggleWumpies??!¡± The Candy Mantis put hands to cheeks in exaggerated shock. ¡°Why, they¡¯re only the scrummiest yumbos you¡¯ve never tried!¡± The large chamber was stocked with rows of strange equipment on racks. Each item was brightly colored and shiny. ¡°Is it like a fruity candy?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Are WoggleWumpies not a thing in ItherBeau?! That shocks my knocks out! No wonder your country has all those problems.¡± The Candy Mantis rose into the air again and without warning, burst into song. As he did, dozens of little goblin-sized candy creatures crawled out from various nooks and crannies throughout the room to provide harmony. ¡°Noooooo,¡± Merijest cried to no avail. The song was clearly about WoggleWumpies, but offered little in the way of clarification about what exactly constituted one. For a moment, Thesa wondered if the dancing constructs were, in fact, WoggleWumpies, but in the course of the song she did learn they were called ¡®Clumgums.¡¯ The Candy Mantis and his Clumgums would appear beside Thesa or Merijest before quickly showing up across the room or vice-versa. ***
Clumgum Rank: D Attacks: Clum, Gum Notes: Like all of the Candy Mantis''s candy constructs, Clumglums oversupply an Imitative Cavern with simple [Mana], creating an almost addictive response and giving the Imitative Cavern acid reflux.
*** One Clumgum lifted Yabba and spun with the Nest Walker. A pair of Clumgums took Thesa by either arm and led her on a walk through the aisles of candy weaponry. ¡°Scrummy a-and yummy! It¡¯s truuuuuuue!¡± Barmoletz belted. Merijest hoped it might be the end of the song, but after a grand pause, the song continued at full blast, vamping on the same chorus again and again and again. As Thesa was led around another aisle of weaponry, she caught sight of a crawlspace in the back wall of the room where she could see someone struggling. ¡°I think they got one of the adventurers in here,¡± she [Messaged] the demoness. ¡°And I think I¡¯m being led there right now!¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Hang on. I¡¯ll try to get you out of here. We¡¯re in an unfavorable position with all these things around. If this fails, we start swinging,¡± Merijest replied. Before Thesa could ask what ¡®this¡¯ referred to, Merijest started dancing? Thesa could only see if she craned her neck, but the grace the demoness usually showed in combat was completely absent. The woman had basically no rhythm. She was moving her arms in an incomprehensible pattern and kicking as she flapped her wings into the air and hovered toward Thesa. The Candy Mantis appeared delighted at the [High Devil]¡¯s sudden¡­kinesthetic outburst. He didn¡¯t even seem to mind when Merijest plucked Thesa out from the grip of his creatures, pulling her in for a clumsy, midair waltz to a song in 4/4 time. Confetti burst from the ceiling as the song came to an explosive finale with Barmoletz doing several somersaults and flips through the air and a kickline with his Clumgums. Merijest, relieved, brought Thesa back to the area near the entrance. ¡°Wait, where is Yabba?¡± Thesa asked in a panic before seeing her [Minor Familiar] surrounded by a swarm of flies, chasing a horrified Clumgum. This too, did not seem to bother The Candy Mantis. *** In the chamber labeled ¡®HazelKnut Hovel¡¯ on the map, the Candy Mantis showed off a row of three mounted armor sets on a raised platform. Every piece, from the helmets and pauldrons to the greaves and gauntlets, appeared to be carved from the shells of giant hazelnuts. Each set was completely still, but Thesa and Merijest both prepared for them to spring to life and reveal hidden blades of hard candy or some other ridiculous implement. ¡°We arrive now at the humble home of the HazelKnuts,¡± Barmoletz announced, stepping onto the platform. Through gaps in the armor of the closest HazelKnut, Thesa could see a sort of scaffolding. She hoped this was a sign that the HazelKnuts would not spring to life and start swinging swords around. Although, they didn¡¯t seem to be armed. After a beat, the Candy Mantis continued, ¡°I take it from your lack of questions that everyone in the audience is already familiar with the HazelKnut Hovel¡¯s very own Nutty Number Jam Band?¡± Merijest¡¯s eyes were becoming exhausted from all the rolling, but she managed all the same. The Foxtapus seemed particularly off-put by something in this room, teeth bared and unwilling to step past the threshold without prodding. ¡°Not to worry, dears,¡± Barmoletz explained. ¡°The less enlightened among us might fear the candy-matronics, but rest assured, they¡¯re completely safe. ¡°What¡¯s a¨C¡± Thesa began, but was cut off by whirring noises as the trio on stage took to stilted movement. A grainy song began playing from¡­somewhere? Then from under the stage, a set of instruments rose up in front of each of the ¡®candy-matronics¡¯ and they began to ¡®sing¡¯ via the obviously pre-recorded musical number. Thesa felt strangely charmed by the Nutty Number Jam Band. One HazelKnut (named ¡®Pistachio¡¯ according to the song) slowly mimed hitting a drum set. To its right, another HazelKnut (¡®Almond¡¯) ¡®strummed¡¯ a guitar, and the one at the front (¡®Pecan¡¯) ¡®held¡¯ a saxophone. Thesa wasn¡¯t sure how Pecan could be playing saxophone and singing at certain points, but that didn¡¯t detract from the fact she found the kitschy performance entrancing. She wanted to know how they worked and she wanted to know if they had, like, a backstory or something. Unfortunately, the charm was short-lived. Looking from one HazelKnut to the other, Thesa noticed the same scaffolding beneath Almond¡¯s armor as she had seen in Pecan¡¯s. However, something obscured her view of the drummer Pistachio¡¯s inner workings. Something about it gave her a bad feeling. Without considering the consequences, Thesa cast [Blindfold]. The room went dark and for some reason the music stopped. To Thesa¡¯s luck, the Candy Mantis said, ¡°deepest apologies, my audacious audience, it appears we are having a technical error.¡± With her infravision active, Thesa could see that beneath the drumming armor, Pistachio was being controlled by a pair of rabbits in little outfits? She made eye contact with Merijest then motioned toward the rabbits. Merijest nodded. Still under darkness, Barometz said, ¡°Thank you for your indelible patience, my friends,¡± he said with a slight bow. ¡°It appears everything is under control, but unfortunately I¡¯m being told that there is a saboteur in our midst.¡± He gasped dramatically, then conjured a spotlight on Thesa. ¡°My dear, Thesa, if you did not like the show, you need only have made your distaste known. I live to serve.¡± ¡°I just¡­wanted to know how the candy-matronics worked,¡± she said, only half lying. With the spotlight on her, infravision became unavailable. She couldn¡¯t see Merijest or the [Familiars] either. The spotlight narrowed and Thesa felt in her guts that she shouldn¡¯t let the darkness touch her. Somehow she knew it wasn¡¯t the same darkness she had summoned. ¡°That¡¯s quite the query, my dear girl,¡± the Candy Mantis¡¯s voice continued. ¡°One I would be happy to answer, however, your little disruption caused Almond to malfunction and we have a strict ¡®You break it, you be it¡¯ rule here.¡± Shadows flicked at the edges of the spotlight. Thesa spun in circles looking for something, anything around her. She stopped spinning and tried to focus. She tried to summon her halberd, but something was stopping her from accessing her [Bound Weapon]. In fact, she was starting to feel magic draining from her, similar to when she¡¯d lost all her [Paladin] levels. Had Barmoletz somehow cut her off from Merijest? Obstructing the ethereal bond between [Witch] and [Stake] was intensely powerful magic. Merijest had been right about this guy being a powerful magician. A low, grainy melody rose out of the darkness as the spotlight narrowed again. Thesa stood in a strained position trying to take up as little space as possible. Glancing down at her belt, she noticed the Menthic Ax. Its magic wasn¡¯t tied to Merijest so maybe¡­ She took the axe in her hand and, lacking the room for a proper wind up, flicked it into the darkness. She heard it clunk into something metallic. ¡°Oooh, that hurt, Thesa,¡± the Candy Mantis said in a chipper voice. ¡°Unfortunately for you, you missed your shot. Even the extra cold damage isn¡¯t enough to¨Cwait what¡¯s it doing?¡± The axe flew back into Thesa¡¯s hand. ¡°How did you do that?¡± the Candy Mantis complained. His voice became whiny and confused. ¡°I scanned your abilities when you stepped onto this [Floor] and there was nothing about recalling items. I should have been alerted if you gained a level and anyways that shouldn¡¯t matter¡­ One moment, please.¡± The spotlight relaxed a few inches, and from the darkness Thesa heard the Candy Mantis scrambling around for something. This time she aimed the Menthic Axe toward the sound and used the extra space for a little more wind up. ¡°Ow! Shit!¡± the Candy Mantis cried and in an instant the room was lit. Where was she now? Looking around, the unfamiliar chamber was empty but for several wooden beams stretched from dirt floor to low, wooden ceiling. Thesa felt her [Witch] features return and could now hear Merijest shouting above her in the midst of combat with what she assumed must have been the animated HazelKnuts. A ladder on the wall led up to a trap door which Thesa guessed would lead onto the stage where the Nutty Number Jam Band had been playing. The Candy Mantis was writhing on the ground with the Menthic Axe embedded in his prothorax. ¡°Oh come on,¡± he pleaded. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to hear all the lore I cooked up for the HazelKnuts?¡± Thesa couldn¡¯t deny she wanted the lore, but she decided sometimes there might be more important things than lore. She summoned her halberd and impaled Barmoletz¡¯s head with a chitinous crunch. 26. Demoness / Vampire When Thesa emerged from beneath the stage, Merijest ran up and pulled her into a tight embrace, lifting off the ground and spinning. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re ok,¡± she said, still holding Thesa firmly. Thesa blushed and her eyes darted every which way. ¡°Oh¡­uh¡­I¡¯m¡­it was nothing¡­¡± ¡°Wait, where is Barmoletz?¡± she asked, anger returning to her face. Thesa explained what had happened as best she could and Merijest nodded, smiling at the thought of Barmoletz in pain and laughing at the description of his death. At first, Thesa was reticent about laughing at the Candy Mantis¡¯s pain, but she realized it didn¡¯t matter how she felt about him. He¡¯s dead! she thought, and he tried to kill me twice, but I escaped and now I¡¯m safe in the arms of my demoness¡­I mean the demoness¡­I mean Merijest¡­¡± Shaking away the thoughts, she joined in Merijest¡¯s laughter with a light, but genuine, chuckle. However, she found her eyes repeatedly drawn to Merijest¡¯s mouth. The shape and motion of her laugh. The canine teeth behind. She wanted to¨C ¡°Ah hem,¡± coughed an unfamiliar voice somewhere below them. ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but we just really wanted to thank you.¡± Merijest landed and relaxed her hold of Thesa (although Thesa continued holding tight). Sitting on the stage beside them were two adventurers who Thesa recognized as members of the party Barmoletz had been leading into the Weapon-Store. A half-elf [Fighter] and a gnome [Alchemist], sitting and examining their own hands. It was the half-elf who had spoken. Something seemed off about the pair, but Thesa couldn¡¯t quite place it. Had something changed since the first time she saw them? Beside the adventurers, the Foxtapus was tearing one of the HazelKnut armor sets to pieces while Yabba lay resting. The gnome added, ¡°You might not have noticed us¡­we got turned into rabbits by the¡­uh¡­guy.¡± Thesa realized that neither the half-elf nor the gnome originally had bunny ears. Merijest looked them up and down. ¡°Did you come here to kill me?¡± She cut right to the chase. The gnome got quiet but the half-elf piped up. ¡°Sort of, ma¡¯am.¡± As she spoke, Witmie removed the gauntlets from her hands, examining her tan skin to clarify if anything besides the ears had changed. ¡°I¨Cwe were already in the [Dungeon] just working on Levels and stuff, but we heard about the bounty from a big group of adventurers and well¡­¡± She tugged at the neck of her leather armor. ¡°We weren¡¯t real serious about it. Didn¡¯t think we¡¯d run into you really. It was sort of a lark we thought we¡¯d chase for a few extra [Floors] before turning back.¡± She pushed short, pink hair out of her face, then added, ¡°But, um, we don¡¯t want to hurt you now, honest. I never met a [High Devil] before. We¡¯re just really grateful and we¡¯re sorry for considering trying to kill you even hypothetically.¡± Merijest smirked. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you. Looks like Barmoletz already did a number on you both,¡± she said, pointing at the bunny ears. The half-elf and gnome both noticed their new ears for the first time. Both were shocked but the gnome¡¯s shock dissolved into discomfort while the half-elf¡¯s shock resolved into a suppressed smile. ¡°Well, we should go,¡± Thesa said to Merijest. ¡°Wait,¡± the half-elf interrupted again. ¡°Can you help us rescue the other members of our party?¡± Thesa was about to decline, but Merijest [Messaged] her, ¡°maybe we should try to recruit them, kitten?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already wasted a lot of time on this [Floor],¡± Thesa replied. ¡°We need to get out of this [Dungeon].¡± ¡°But this is our chance,¡± Merijest argued. ¡°I think these two are prepared to have their assumptions questioned.¡± Thesa sighed. ¡°What if they¡­don¡¯t like us. What if I mess it up again?¡± For some reason, being face to face with willing listeners was terrifying her. Maybe it was residual adrenaline from almost being killed by a mad magician. Maybe it was not wanting to cry in front of these two the same way she¡¯d lost it in front of Lelly on their first meeting. She was just afraid. ¡°I¡¯ll lead this time.¡± Merijest [Messaged]. ¡°But if they don¡¯t like you, I don¡¯t want their support. We¡¯re a package deal.¡± While Thesa¡¯s mind raced to analyze what exactly Merijest meant by ¡®package deal¡¯, Merijest agreed to help Witmie the half-elf [Fighter] and Clorbo the gnome [Alchemist].Stolen novel; please report. *** Before charging into the next room, they headed back into the WobbleWumpy Weapon-Store. As soon as Witmie and Clorbo described Ruck, their cephalapoid [Barbarian] friend who was dragged out of sight in the previous room, Thesa realized it might have been the person she saw struggling in that nook during the first musical number. As they entered the room, things were notably different than their previous walkthrough. The colorful equipment and decorations sagged, melting. The Clumgums all laid unmoving, constructs no longer animated by their puppet master. In the crawlspace where Thesa had seen the struggling cephalapoid, they found a mangle of lifeless candy constructs and a half devoured body. Witmie, Clorbo, and Thesa all keeled over and retched. The sight was ghastly. Merijest had seen worse. She waved a hand and Ruck¡¯s remains began to float out of the hole. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Clorbo asked, mortified. ¡°He deserves a better resting place,¡± Merijest said calmly. ¡°This is not a good place for the dead to slumber.¡± ¡°Uh, ma¡¯am,¡± Witmie asked, tugging on one of her rabbit ears. ¡°Please take no offense, but you¡¯re not going to turn him into a zombie or something right?¡± Merijest sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes again. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be worth the energy required and I don¡¯t have his permission.¡± ¡°You get permission?¡± Clorbo asked, incredulously. Thesa chimed in, ¡°she didn¡¯t get my permission but that was because I owed her for destroying a lot of her [Familiars].¡± Clorbo looked at her with an eyebrow raised. Witmie simply nodded. ¡°If you guys are interested,¡± Thesa said, feeling a momentary confidence, ¡°we could tell you more about how Beautuk has been deceiving his followers and why Merijest needs all the help she can get.¡± She looked away as soon as she said it. Remembering her intent to let Merijest take the lead. While Clorbo said, ¡°no thanks,¡± Witmie simultaneously said, ¡°I¡¯m interested.¡± The pair looked at each other. Witmie looked back. ¡°Can we have a minute?¡± Thesa nodded and looked back at Merijest. The demoness motioned for her [Witch] to follow back into the ¡®HazelKnut Hovel¡¯ chamber. ¡°We¡¯ll be in there when you¡¯re ready,¡± Thesa explained. ¡°I will see what we can do about clearing that chamber for a burial service,¡± Merijest added. Thesa wondered what the pair would talk about in their absence, but she didn¡¯t have to wonder for long as a loud argument echoed between rooms. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this whole thing is too convenient?¡± Clorbo¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°They saved us, Clorbo,¡± Witmie shouted back. ¡°Why would they save us?¡± ¡°Maybe it''s like vampires,¡± Clorbo retorted. ¡°Maybe she really does need permission.¡± ¡°Vampires don¡¯t need permission to turn you. They need permission to enter your house.¡± ¡°Well maybe I don¡¯t know but I¡¯m not about to let my guard down around a [High Devil].¡± ¡°It¡¯s just listening to their side of things. Besides, we still need to see if Durn is ok.¡± ¡°We probably would have heard from her by now if that were the case.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Don¡¯t you dare say that before we know.¡± The argument continued until only Witmie entered the room where Thesa, Merijest, and their [Familiars] were waiting. Everyone but Thesa was doing a good job of pretending they hadn¡¯t been listening. ¡°Oh, where did Clorbo go?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°He''s waiting by the exit,¡± Witmie said, glumly. ¡°I think he''s just having a hard time about Ruck¡­¡± Thesa nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s find your other friend before we do anything else,¡± Merijest said. As they crossed the short corridor to the next chamber, Thesa asked, ¡°So what happened to your other friend?¡± ¡°Dunno,¡± Witmie said. ¡°Ruck got dragged off first. Then Clorbo and I got turned into rabbits and Durn got ushered into the next room¡­ That¡¯s why we had to go back for Ruck first. He was gone longer. I just hope¡­I hope Durn is alright.¡± The smell of melting black licorice filled the air. The candy ropes which were presumably tightly bound from the wall to a knot in the center of the room, sagged and stank. There was no sign of Durn there, but they all heard something happening in the next room. The corridor took them back to the Gumdrop Slime¡¯s room where the creature was (very slowly) chasing a green-skinned half-dwarf [Sorcerer] in circles as she sent puffs of air magic at the creature in a (failed) attempt to slow it down. Merijest swiftly froze the Gumdrop Slime solid. Durn, the [Sorcerer] looked over in excitement that turned to confusion and a little fear at the sight of merijest then back to excitement and relief when she saw Witmie. The two ran to meet one another (¡°awe, that¡¯s sweet,¡± Thesa said) and then Witmie jumped into Durn¡¯s arms and the pair kissed for a little longer than you might think given the situation. Thesa looked away blushing. Merijest just went back the way they had all come from. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Witmie asked, her legs around the half-dwarf¡¯s cloaked waist as she listened and played with Durn¡¯s brown mullet. ¡°That weird guy trapped me in those licorice ropes. I was pretty done-for until they started to melt, but the whole process had me all turned around,¡± Durn said. ¡°You know how I am with directions anyways. I couldn¡¯t remember which way I¡¯d come from. I was trying to get back to you, but ended up running in circles from that big Slime. The Candy Mantis sapped most of my [Mana] so I could only hit it with wind gusts and hope something changed.¡± The half-dwarf looked Witmie up and down, her eyes stopping briefly on the bunny ears. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Witmie blushed. ¡°Well, you saw me and Clorbo got turned into bunnies, but, y¡¯know Merijest, yes that Merijest. She and her [Witch] girlfriend saved us.¡± She gestured to her ears, ¡°do you like them?¡± ¡°I like them,¡± Durn smiled. ¡°Do you like them? Also, where is Clorbo? Did you guys find Ruck?¡± Durn¡¯s excitement dropped immediately as she saw the downturn in Witmie¡¯s face. ¡°We¡­yeah,¡± Witmie looked sheepishly at Thesa who had been trying to decide if it would be rude to leave the room during the conversation or if she was supposed to pretend she didn¡¯t notice it. ¡°Miss, uh, Merijest¡¯s [Witch] girlfriend. Can we have a minute to talk alone.¡± ¡°Oh uh yeah sorry sorry,¡± Thesa said. ¡°Also, I¡¯m not her girlfriend.¡± Witmie¡¯s face briefly went from sorrow to smirking. ¡°Does she know that?¡± Thesa didn¡¯t know what that meant or how to reply so she pretended not to hear and walked back while trying to analyze the question. 27. Growing / Changing They held something like an informal service for Ruck, the fallen cephalapoid [Barbarian]. Durn used a spell to [Message] Clorbo in case he wanted to attend, but he turned her down. Still, he seemed genuinely relieved to hear from her. To mark the burial of Ruck¡¯s half-eaten corpse, Witmie produced a flower she¡¯d picked on the previous [Floor]. The Grackle Lily, in its macabre splendor, mystified Thesa. In less than a month the newly conjured magical flora had propagated beyond her expectations. After the service, everyone was physically and emotionally exhausted from a long day of being almost killed by an immensely powerful magician and his weird fun house of candy and death. They made camp (Clorbo again refused to join when he heard about the hexes Merijest would be setting up for defense). Witmie and Durn both fell asleep quickly, leaving Thesa and Merijest lying face-to-face, chatting. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t even know why the axe hasn¡¯t melted. Or why he wouldn¡¯t have just cut off its magic,¡± Thesa said. ¡°My guess is the axe was already there and he just added the candy cane stuff to what he found,¡± Merijest said. ¡°That¡¯s what gave you the element of surprise.¡± ¡°Do you think the Peppermint Wyrm will have melted away by now?¡± Merijest sighed, empathetically. ¡°Kitten, I think the Peppermint Wyrm was also already there. He just hadn¡¯t detected it.¡± Thesa almost started shouting, but caught herself, choosing to [Message] instead. ¡°NOOOOOOO. Are you saying the Peppermint Wyrm on the candy-themed [Floor] was a total coincidence and I still have to worry about this thing?¡± ¡°Sorry, kitten. On the other hand, it did save you today,¡± Merijest said in a low whisper. ¡°I know I, at least, am grateful for that.¡± Thesa¡¯s face and chest suddenly felt really warm. Merijest was pretty persuasive. And her¡­mouth was so¡­pretty and¡­ Thesa leapt off the ground and said, ¡°I¡¯m Gonna Go For a Jog!¡± and then she fully went on a weird jog around the [Floor], past all the fading candy magic. When she got back, Merijest had fallen asleep with a tiny smile on her demonic face. (Actually Merijest spent the whole time awake, staying alert in case something happened to Thesa on her ¡®jog¡¯, but she pretended to sleep because she knew Thesa needed some space.) *** The next morning, Witmie lay draped across Durn¡¯s lap as the pair waited for ¡®story time.¡¯ The Foxtapus was curled beside them, getting occasional scritches from the pair. Merijest slept in, so Thesa decided to be brave and give it a go. ¡°...so basically, Beautuk has been secretly evil this whole time and Merijest needs more [Familiars] in order to save all the people trapped in Beautuk¡¯s realm and also the Knights are evil too,¡± she concluded. ¡°Wow,¡± Witmie said, looking up at her half-dwarf girlfriend. ¡°You like her. Like, really like her.¡± Thesa¡¯s face flushed. ¡°Wait, that wasn¡¯t the point and also it''s totally not like that! I mean, I don¡¯t think she sees me like that¡­ AND I OBVIOUSLY DON¡¯T SEE HER LIKE THAT¡­ but do you guys think she does?¡± Witmie laughed. ¡°Everytime you say her name you start to smile and get excited.¡± Durn met her girlfriend¡¯s gaze before looking up at Thesa. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys like, sleep cuddling together?¡± ¡°I mean! Not on purpose¡­usually. Sometimes we just wake up¡­curled up. For warmth¡­¡± ¡°Oh hon,¡± Witmie shook her head. ¡°What are you three talking about?¡± Merijest said as she approached. Thesa¡¯s brain froze. She used [Arrow Time] to give herself more time to answer. After the excruciating burst of slow motion, she still came up short. It didn¡¯t help that Merijest was just¡­standing there¡­with her cute sexy bedhead hair and her¡­ and her¡­ ¡°Thesa was just making a great case for your side of things,¡± Durn smirked. ¡°Honestly, yeah,¡± Witmie said, sitting up. ¡°I¡¯m in if she¡¯s in,¡± she added, pointing at Durn. Thesa knew this was a good thing but also she felt deep in her gut that she wasn¡¯t prepared for how well these two lesbian adventurers could see through her. *** With everything that had happened, Thesa almost didn¡¯t notice she had enough experience for a new Level in [Witch]. It made sense considering she had dealt the killing blow on an enemy far surpassing her power. Witmie and Durn (who were now officially Merijest¡¯s [Familiars]) went ahead to rendezvous with Clorbo, Thesa and Merijest would join them shortly but first they discussed Thesa¡¯s options for her new Level.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Before this Level would have just come with some boosts to your [Bound Weapon] damage and your [Spellcasting Ability], but with the uptick in sapient [Familiars], I can grant you an extra effect that wasn¡¯t available before,¡± Merijest explained. ¡°You get to choose two of six [Malices] to apply to your [Bound Weapon] attacks. Normally you would have gotten one at an earlier level and one now.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t kidding about the [System] being biased. Everything has scary names. What are my options?¡± Thesa asked. She was laying with her head in Merijest¡¯s lap. Eyes closed so she fully could picture each possibility. ¡°Admittedly, these effects can be a little¡­harsh but it''s up to you how you use them. The lower Level list is [Hemorrhage], [Fatigue], [Vertigo]. You have to choose one from there. Your second choice can also be from that list or you can take [Petrify], [Dehydrate], or [Famine].¡± What do I need most? Thesa thought. With [Hemorrhage] I could cause additional blood loss. That would improve my damage output. [Fatigue] would sap a target¡¯s liveliness, making for an easier foe as time went on. [Vertigo] might get pretty gross if the target vomited¡­ [Petrify] seems like a more acute compliment to [Fatigue]. Whereas [Dehydrate]... ¡°[Dehydrate]?¡± Thesa asked, confused. ¡°That¡¯s a higher Level option?¡± She pictured an enemy adventurer stopping mid fight to get a glass of water. ¡°Most humanoid bodies use water in nearly every process,¡± Merijest explained. ¡°A sudden, pronounced lack of water makes skin less durable, it can cause difficulty in mental processing, and more. Of course, the effects will scale based on how many times you are able to stack it.¡± ¡°Fair enough. I¡¯ll take that as my second option,¡± Thesa said. ¡°And I¡¯ve heard the [Hemorrhage] condition can get pretty powerful when stacked so I¡¯ll take that as my first.¡± Not long after, Merijest was removing her defensive hexing from the chamber while the Foxtapus laid in the corner dozing. Thesa put out the fire but Yabba kept trying to stick its perch-nose into the hot coals. To distract her [Minor Familiar] with some attention, Thesa playfully chased it around and responded to its creaks with her own paltry imitations. Witmie and Durn returned with unhappy expressions on their faces (Thesa didn¡¯t catch their expressions, but Merijest did). ¡°You guys forget something?¡± Thesa asked, cheerily. ¡°Clorbo left,¡± Durn sighed. Witmie stared at the floor with a tightlipped frown. ¡°Did he say anything?¡± Merijest asked in a tone more befitting the mood. ¡°He was pretty uncomfortable with us becoming [Familiars],¡± Durn continued. ¡°He was disgusted,¡± Witmie groaned before breaking into a short rant. ¡°We¡¯ve been friends so long. I thought I knew him, but all the sudden he¡¯s going on and on about how we should tell the Knights about this. I mean, I get he wouldn¡¯t love this. He claims to be an ¡®enlightened¡¯ [Alchemist] without need for [Deities], but then why is he suddenly appealing to Beautuk?¡± ¡°I mean, he grew up in a family that follows Beautuk,¡± Durn shrugged. ¡°He claims to be above it all, but it''s obvious his mindset is still informed by that.¡± ¡°I grew up with that stuff, too,¡± Witmie countered. ¡°And so did you. It¡¯s no excuse.¡± Durn embraced Witmie. ¡°You¡¯re right, sweetie. It¡¯s not an excuse.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s just going to try exiting alone?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Not exactly,¡± Durn explained, turning to Thesa while still maintaining her embrace of Witmie. ¡°Do you gals not know about the Knight Stations?¡± Thesa and Merijest looked at one another concerned then shook their heads, no. ¡°The Knights are setting up Stations every five [Floors] to support adventurers who take up Merijest¡¯s bounty,¡± Durn continued. ¡°Basically, they help wounded adventurers exit or provide basic supplies to those going further in. Only go as deep as [Floor] 35 last we saw, but they might have reached 40 by now.¡± Witmie turned to the group. ¡°Are we going to have to fight them now or something?¡± ¡°Probably a bad idea right now,¡± Merijest said. ¡°Even with the boost in power I got from you two joining the cause, there¡¯s a long way to go and if these Knight Stations are well supplied and well staffed, that will make them more formidable. We will need to especially rely on stealth going forward.¡± Everyone decided to have a seat and go over some more information before proceeding. ¡°Do they have full on Knights at the Stations or is it just Convent devotees?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Only at the lowest one,¡± Witmie answered. ¡°One that looked a bit like you, Thesa, and then that Peter weirdo.¡± ¡°What is that guy¡¯s deal?¡± Thesa asked no one in particular. ¡°I knew the other 12 Knights at the Convent as well as all the devotees who were ready to begin training if an opening emerged. I never met him. Why not Frinx? Or Shecth? Why give a newbie the position as Beautuk¡¯s champion?¡± Witmie shrugged. ¡°I have no idea but he has weird vibes. Too friendly, if that makes sense.¡± She went on, ¡°Like, we stopped at one on our way down because I got hurt on an earlier [Floor] and needed a potion. And first of all, as soon as we were approaching, he runs up and wants to shake all our hands. ¡®Hello, I¡¯m Sir Peter, welcome to the Knight Station.¡¯¡± She put on an exaggerated voice for him. ¡°And when I was taking the potion, he kept staring at me. And then he says, ¡®aren¡¯t potions just a miracle?¡¯ It was just odd.¡± ¡°Some people are odd,¡± Thesa said, frowning and looking away. ¡°You¡¯re right about that,¡± Witmie nodded. ¡°Nothing wrong with being odd, I suppose. I mean, I didn¡¯t read much into it from that interaction until you told us about what¡¯s been happening. He almost gave off like youth ministry [Cleric] vibes if that makes sense.¡± Thesa wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, but Merijest and Durn nodded. ¡°I wonder if they made him the new champion ¡®cause of how fast he¡¯s Leveling, though,¡± Durn added. ¡°Overheard him and the other Knight talking about his options for 16th [Level]. Seems fast considering you say he¡¯s new.¡± Thesa felt a wave of fear. ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s way too fast.¡± ¡°Maybe he transferred from being a [Paladin] for another [Deity]?¡± Witmie conjectured. ¡°But usually those don¡¯t transfer unless the [Deities] are really friendly with one another,¡± Thesa replied, thinking through it as she spoke. ¡°Maybe he was a [Paladin] for Owtem? It¡¯s uncommon but I think there are still some of those in other regions.¡± ¡°That still wouldn¡¯t explain how fast he has gained Levels since we encountered him,¡± Merijest said. ¡°He was around Level 10 when we saw him.¡± Thesa curled up with her head in Merijest¡¯s lap again. She almost sat back up when she saw Witmie and Durn staring at her, smiling, and whispering to each other. But she decided to ignore that. 28. Heist / Job Before they made it to [Floor] 40, Thesa and Merijest had a chance to learn some more about their new compatriots. For one thing, Witmie the half-elf [Fighter] was somehow disgusted and fascinated by monsters in equal measure. Standing at a ¡®safe¡¯ distance and squinting through her fingers, she was excited to watch Merijest befriend and recruit a Bronze Motif. (¡°Their little legs just freak me out! But they¡¯re also so cute¡­¡±). The Foxtapus and Yabba didn¡¯t seem to bother her as much, but Thesa wasn¡¯t sure why. She also seemed completely unbothered by the bunny ears she¡¯d picked up from her stint as a rabbit. She kept asking Durn to look at her striking exaggerated expressions and cute poses with her new ears. Durn was more reserved, mostly focused on whatever task was at hand. She had access to a couple of interesting Spells, but Thesa was almost surprised the woman had such a magically inclined class despite being physically tough. ¡°My [Sorcerer] spell casting scales off of my [Constitution],¡± Durn had explained. ¡°Without it, I¡¯d get pretty worn out from a few casts.¡± ***
Bronze Motif Rank: D Attacks: Payday Notes: Coins produced by its [Payday] attack usually fade, but occasionally remain and can be pawned for a small sum. The ratio of [Mana] to money is inefficient.
*** They all stopped at the stairway to [Floor] 40 to go over their plan. Witmie revealed that she had a notebook full of surprisingly detailed map sketches which made the whole process a lot smoother. The drawings were messy, but workable.
¡°I just like doodling,¡± Witmie shrugged. Once they got past the [Floor] there would be little time to rest. They needed to get through and keep running. Merijest called on assistance from some of the [Familiars] she¡¯d recruited who for one reason or another had not joined the party. She was also able to set up something called a ¡®[Party Message]¡¯ so the sapient party members could all communicate directly. *** The walls of the chamber where Sir Peter and Sir Kelreyn had set up the Knight Station were shaped almost like bunk beds. The whole [Floor] had been a crypt when they passed through it the first time in a hurry. Now with their more methodical plan of setting up Knight Stations every five [Floors], they had enough time to stop and deliver each and every entombed corpse to Beautuk¡¯s realm. What a [Blessing]! Kelreyn sat at the table, handing out potions and basic weapons. Her blond hair and pale skin made her almost look like that traitor woman, minus the ears, freckles, and general demeanor. Meanwhile, Peter¡¯s job was to greet each adventurer who came through. He tried not to sound condescending to anyone who took a Shield Stone from the Station¡¯s supply. The single-use items were impressive. When activated, they create a temporary, translucent barrier at any point in a corridor. Still, invisible walls were sort of a cheap tactic¡­ Joining them at the Station, a handful of Convent devotees ran back and forth from the Storage chamber. Another sat in the Delivery Room where Peter would lead anyone with a dead party member in tow. Everyone was on high alert after that gnome, Clorbo, had jabbered how his party came face to face with the vile demoness, but there were enough adventurers present for him to continue mulling over his spell choice. This last spell was the only part of Level 18 that he hadn¡¯t been able to settle on. He was between two higher Level spells. [Reject Evil] would give him boosted resistance to attacks from Evil creatures. That was appealing, but so far flimsiness hadn¡¯t been a huge problem for him. He ended up choosing [Conduct Sigil] which was a new option at this Level. It would let him command a target to avoid a certain action and if they refused they would be hit with a nasty cut to their [Ability Scores]. It gave him more of the authoritative power he craved.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. He was really liking it here. A much better place. A place that respected his need for control. His mouth watered at the thought of choosing an Eminent Class. This was how things should be. Even if it was a little odd to call a group of Knights a Convent¡­ Peter¡¯s musings were cut off by the sound of an explosion in the Storage chamber and the sound of yelling devotees. He and Kelreyn looked at one another confused. ¡°I thought you said there were protection spells on the inventory,¡± Peter said. ¡°There should be,¡± Kelreyn said, nodding reluctantly to show some deference to her new superior (even if she had been a well-performing Knight for years now and he came out of nowhere to get promoted). ¡°But theoretically, a powerful spell could circumvent it.¡± Kelreyn stood from the table and cautiously approached the corridor leading to the Storage chamber. Their number one priority was to maintain a blockade. Devotees could be replaced. Kelreyn pulled a glowing stone from her pocket. Peter took to the other entrance, remaining firmly in the Station chamber but preparing to attack anything that came through. The corridor before him filled with darkness. That traitor woman¡­she must have cast [Blindfold] again. No matter. He cast [Infravision] on himself and indicated for Kelreyn to do the same. Peter was able to see an oddly-fuzzy heatmap of a half-elf with rabbit ears. Must be the one that gnome mentioned. Without waiting, he struck the girl through the head with his sword. Behind her, the half-dwarf stood in the corridor in the middle of casting a spell. With no time to lose, he charged the heat-tone figure, only to find himself charging through empty air. By the time he turned around, there was an invisible barrier in his way. He turned again to find another invisible barrier behind him. He had been caught between two Shield Stones. Kelreyn turned to see Peter¡¯s situation with frustration. She activated her own Shield Stone between their main chamber and the storage room, but before she could go over to help, it started to crack against some unseen spell. Kelreyn cursed and checked her pockets for other stones. Nothing. By the time the darkness faded and she realized her previous shield stone was gone, it was too late. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Peter complained while Kelreyn deactivated the barriers keeping him trapped in the corridor. ¡°It was an illusion. The explosion, the screaming devotees, all of it,¡± Kelreyn groaned and gestured to a swarm of dead flies where he had ¡®killed¡¯ the half-elf. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a little OP?¡± Peter asked. ¡°OP?¡± ¡°It means ¡®Overpowered¡¯,¡± Peter explained. ¡°Not to mention it''s sort of Deus Ex Machina if you think about it.¡± Before Kelreyn could ask, Peter continued, ¡°Basically there was this super ancient dude in my world named Aristotle who figured out what made some stories good and some stories bad¡­¡± His explanation continued with little prompting. Another rant about stories and fiction from some place she¡¯d never heard of. What did any of it have to do with real life? *** The whole party was exhausted but there wasn¡¯t much time to rest. They were darting through [Floor] 38 with more help from Witmie¡¯s maps. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Skin Geese were such powerful illusionists,¡± Witmie marveled in the [Party Message]. ¡°Honestly bumps them up on my list of favorite weird little creatures.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my favorite weird little creature,¡± Durn replied. Thesa blushed for them, having been once again subjected to their open flirting. She looked at Merijest whose stern expression was undercut by her eyes darting between everyone in the party, making sure they were all accounted for. The race for the finish had only just begun.
Bonus Vignette Lelly was sprawled across the floor of Merijest¡¯s library, pulling one book after another out of the secret cache beneath the smallest bookcase. The Cow-Dog and KangarooHawk slept on the floor beside her. A [Message] came in from Merijest (having been routed through her KangarooHawk [Familiar]) ¡°Any chance you can make it to the 40th [Floor] in a short time? Any help would be great for getting past the Knights.¡± ¡°Sorry. I ended up heading down to your dwelling just to be safe,¡± Lelly replied. ¡°Also, I¡¯ve never seen so much lesbian literature in one place. Thank you for sharing this with me.¡± ¡°Glad you like it,¡± Merijest replied. ¡°During Thesa¡¯s first few days, I wouldn¡¯t let her in the library until I hid them all.¡± ¡°Ha! I always think of you as so confident,¡± Lelly [Messaged]. The naiad was less meek in correspondence than in person. ¡°I bet she would love to read some of these with you¡­¡± ¡°Listen!!!!¡± 29. Jaw / Throat Through traps and around adventurers, they charged. The rest of the Knight Stations were only occupied by Convent devotees and random adventurers. ¡°Witmie, have you ever considered becoming a professional map maker?¡± Thesa asked the rabbit-eared half-elf after the party snuck past [Floor] 30 with ease. Having gone completely unnoticed, the party stopped to catch its breath while Merijest scouted around a nearby corner to check for more traps. ¡°I don''t know,¡± Witmie shrugged bashfully. ¡°My drawings are pretty messy.¡± ¡°Well these are just first drafts, right? With these kinds of notes you could iterate until you''re happy with it,¡± Thesa suggested. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Witmie replied. ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll start looking into becoming a professional mapmaker as soon as you tell Merijest how you feel about her.¡± She smirked. Thesa''s face reddened. ¡°What, no, what? How did this turn on me?¡± She looked away. ¡°What would I even say?¡± ¡°Just tell her you wanna smooch,¡± Witmie said. Thesa covered her now-crimson face. ¡°I probably wouldn''t word it like that.¡± ¡°Say you wanna bang,¡± Durn chimed in. ¡°This isn''t helping!¡± ¡°Ok, but for real,¡± Witmie reassured. ¡°We believe in you. Just say it how you would say it. Be yourself and all that.¡± Before Thesa could reply, the Foxtapus let out a low growl and its ears perked up. The Bronze Motif shook, its body jingling as if full of coins. Back down the long corridor, Thesa heard the muffled voice of Kelreyn. The party immediately broke into as quiet a run as they could muster, catching up to Merijest and darting for the next set of stairs. [Floor] 27 was split into two sections by a long corridor covered in mud. ¡°This looks different than the maps I drew,¡± Witmie sighed. ¡°These higher [Floors] are more likely to shift when left empty for any amount of time,¡± Merijest explained. ¡°It¡¯s no matter.¡± Durn carried Witmie on her shoulders. The Foxtapus floated across with Yabba perched precariously on its back. Merijest and the Bronze Motif hovered. The demoness offered to carry Thesa across, but Thesa was worried she''d like it too much. ¡°The mud isn''t really that bad,¡± Thesa lied, trudging with each step. ¡°Whatever you say, kitten,¡± Merijest sighed. ¡°Just say the word and I''ll pick you up. It really wouldn''t be a problem.¡± Thesa blushed a lot. The more she really considered the possibility of sharing her feelings with the demoness, the more the little things flustered her all over again. ¡°Oh, it''s fine,¡± she lied. ¡°I''m totally fi¨CWoah! OW!¡± Thesa''s foot had met a strange resistance in the mud and, distracted by Merijest, she hadn''t stopped herself from putting her whole weight on the pressure plate mechanism of a hunting trap. As the iron jaws clamped on her leg, Thesa cried out in pain. The heavy metal teeth had crunched through her boots, twisting the frayed, broken metal in on her skin. Merijest tried to give her [Witch] a lift, but any motion caused the pain to skyrocket. ¡°Shit! We do not have time for this trap,¡± Durn said, looking backward. The half-dwarf had stopped moving in case another set of metal teeth was waiting in her path. As Merijest pulled away the mud around Thesa''s leg, Witmie shouted, ¡°Look out!¡± Extending from the ceiling were what appeared to be gloved, humanoid hands on the end of fleshy vines. They snaked through the air toward the party. Thesa groaned in pain as she flung her Menthic Axe toward one of the hands, barely nicking it before the weapon returned. ***
Thinga-Ma-JabberThe narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Rank: A Attacks: Grab, Suffocate, Devour Notes: If you get close enough to see the base (where the many snaking arms meet) and live, you''d be the first.
*** Witmie quickly donned a pair of shining gauntlets and started punching at the incoming limbs. ¡°Durn, do you think we could get closer to Thesa?¡± Durn nodded, beginning the careful trek. The Foxtapus set off a single burst of spinning magic, all it could muster while floating in the air. The Bronze Motif swerved this way and that, avoiding stray attempts to grapple it. The pain in Thesa''s leg was staggering, even for her. Still she managed to cast [Minor Aid] on herself to keep from passing out. As more hands slinked down from the dark ceiling, Merijest fired a volley of icicles. ¡°Thesa, can you use your [Dive] ability?¡± ¡°It won''t reach far enough to ensure I don''t end up in another trap,¡± Thesa said through gritted teeth. ¡°That''s easy,¡± Witmie said, grabbing a fleshy limb out of the air in one hand and whacking it with her other armored fist. ¡°Just use it to teleport into Merijest''s arms.¡± Thesa tried to come up with an excuse. When the first of the arms tried to grab her shoulder, her breastplate activated [Back Up] to reclaim some distance. Still, she wouldn¡¯t be able to use that again and in the end she couldn¡¯t deny the utility of [Diving] into the arms of her the demoness. Merijest expertly dodged more incoming limbs and after dropping off Thesa (who was so flustered she forgot how bad her leg hurt), Merijest carried Witmie over the mud as well before heading back for Durn. ¡°See,¡± Witmie said. ¡°She was more than happy to carry you.¡± ¡°She carried you, too,¡± Thesa replied. ¡°And she''s going back for Durn right now.¡± Witmie shrugged. ¡°Maybe you didn''t notice the deep expression of care and worry on her face while she was taxiing you. It¡¯s clear she cares for all of her [Familiars] but you are definitely her favorite.¡± Thesa pouted, but a swelling of soreness and stinging in her leg took over her attention. When Merijest arrived back with Durn, the [Sorcerer] used a minor healing spell to seal the wound. Bits of metallic shrapnel were disgorged as pink flesh came back together. The skin was still raw, and Thesa was in no position to run. The Foxtapus, who had landed, was now working at full capacity to counter the last of the strange ceiling hands alongside the Bronze Motif¡¯s volley of magic coins flinging at high speeds. Yabba was showing off a new ability: spitting what appeared to be a small dead bird from the face hole above its perch-nose. The speed of ejection was only enough to send the little corpse a foot or two from the Nest Walker. This wasn''t helping, but again, the thought was nice? Before they could even consider resting on their momentary laurels, the sound of clanging Knight armor sent them forward again, Thesa comfortably nestled in Merijest''s arms. The demoness could heal the wound more effectively as soon as they got a real chance to rest, but her healing magic, while more comprehensive, was less acute than Durn¡¯s. *** Sneaking past [Floor] 25 might have been a bigger hurdle except there was nobody there. Not a single Convent devotee remained at the now abandoned Knight Station. ¡°What happened here?¡± Thesa wondered aloud. ¡°I have a guess,¡± Merijest groaned. ¡°It¡¯s possible they sent word back for all the Convent¡¯s allies to gather at the entrance. With Peter and Kelreyn closing in behind us, they''re trying to lead us into a [Raid].¡± ¡°I think you may be onto something,¡± Witmie said, taking a flier off the deserted table which read ¡®Return to Entrance! Demon [Raid]!¡¯ in big letters. ¡°How exactly are we getting past a whole [Raid]?¡± Durn asked. Still lacking proper time to rest, the party continued moving as they discussed. ¡°Well,¡± Merijest sighed. ¡°I''m not completely sure. But the Twin Stars are able to lend us assistance in getting away from ItherBeau as soon as we make it past that entrance.¡± ¡°Does the actual entrance to an Imitative Cavern ever change?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Not if there''s heavy foot traffic,¡± Merijest explained. ¡°It should look the same as when your party entered,¡± she said, looking at Witmie and Durn. Still sitting on her girlfriend''s shoulders, Witmie opened her notebook.
¡°All of the chambers were clear of anything notable when we went through, so I just lettered them all,¡± Witmie sighed. ¡°We might have to fight through the winding corridors.¡± Leave it to the first [Floor] of a [Dungeon] to be utterly trivial... ¡°I''m not so sure,¡± Merijest said. ¡°They might put some resistance in the corridors, but they won''t give up the opportunity to funnel us at the actual mouth of the [Dungeon]. It''s a powerful strategic position.¡± Thesa nodded. ¡°Funneling was like the first tactical lesson as a Knight, so I think you''re probably right, Mer¡± She blushed as she said the nickname, worried someone would admonish her for being too familiar with her [Stake], but all she got was a little smile from Merijest and a teasing grin from Witmie. ¡°So how do we get past that,¡± Durn asked. ¡°I have some rough ideas,¡± Merijest admitted. ¡°But nothing fleshed out.¡± The whole party felt the tense probability of failure hanging over their heads. Except for Yabba. Yabba just spit out another dead bird. 30. Fear / Hope ¡°If it weren''t for the Knights on our tail, our best bet might be to split into two groups and fire long-range attacks from both available corridors into the atrium,¡± Merijest said. ¡°It would be monotonous but potentially effective. Still, I¡¯m not exactly a master tactician¡­¡± Witmie laid on her stomach, scribbling in her notebook as everyone deliberated over lunch. ¡°Maybe we need a hostage?¡± Durn asked between bites of rations. ¡°Any chance we could take Peter as a hostage?¡± ¡°That might work, but what if Beautuk is just as willing to sacrifice Peter as he was willing to sacrifice Thesa?¡± Witmie countered, rolling onto her back in search of a more comfortable position. ¡°Sorry, Thesa.¡± The Bronze Motif jingled over toward Witmie but before it could unintentionally frighten her, Durn waved it away. ¡°No, you''re right,¡± Thesa shrugged, frowning. ¡°Besides, his Level is already so high, it''s almost out of the question.¡± Thesa was resting in Merijest¡¯s lap while the demoness used her claws to preen her feathers. ¡°What I know for certain is that I will need to take on my Wyrmic form,¡± Merijest said. The grotesque, draconic form was powerful even if she¡¯d rather nobody see it. Thesa looked up at her [Stake]. She wasn¡¯t much for understanding facial expressions or body language, but she was starting to get a feel for when Merijest was nervous. ¡°I''m sorry you''ll have to see me like that again,¡± Merijest sighed. Thesa¡¯s empathetic glance had been mistaken for discomfort. ¡°Maintaining this form,¡± Merijest explained, gesturing to her body, ¡°is a small but constant [Mana] drain.¡± Thesa couldn''t form the words to explain that the only upsetting thing about Merijest''s Wyrmic form was the distress it caused the demoness to embody it. Everytime she almost said something, she worried it would give the wrong impression. ¡®You always looked good.¡¯ ¡®You pull off everything.¡¯ ¡®Look at how sexy cool you look with all your hair shorn off! You could literally pull off anything.¡¯ Before she could come up with a response, the conversation had moved on and Thesa couldn¡¯t figure out how to get back to the topic without reopening Merijest¡¯s internal wound. ¡°I only have a few AOE options,¡± Durn said, flexing her fingers as if about to cast. ¡°Does anyone else have abilities for effecting a large area?¡± ¡°Nothing damage dealing,¡± Thesa replied. ¡°I''ve got [Blindfold], but that''s it.¡± Yabba breathed out a swarm of flies. ¡°I suppose that counts,¡± Thesa said, nodding at her [Minor Familiar]. ¡°The Foxtapus also has some abilities that might help. But I don¡¯t know about the Bronze Motif¡¯s abilities.¡± She looked quizzically at Merijest. ¡°Our Bronze Motif is on the younger side, so it only has minor abilities.¡± Merijest explained. ¡°However, I do have a few AOE spells,¡± she continued. ¡°Whether I have enough to deal with a full [Raid] is another question.¡± ¡°Even if Beautuk doesn''t care about Peter, taking him as a hostage could still be a useful move,¡± Witmie said. ¡°On the other hand, if I¡¯m right about the secret doors, we could use those. There might even be a chamber there. Maybe we should spread our attacks over those three corridors into the atrium.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°How far are you from your next Level?¡± Durn asked Witmie. ¡°I¡¯m about halfway to mine.¡± ¡°I''m very close to it,¡± Witmie said. ¡°Although, [Fighter] abilities are mostly close range, so I don¡¯t know how helpful they¡¯ll be against a [Raid].¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s try to get you that Level anyways, Witmie. Never know when it will come in handy,¡± Durn said. ¡°Plus, Merijest¡¯s power scales with her [Familiars] so that¡¯s always worth the effort,¡± Thesa explained. *** On the next few [Floors], the party tried to defer to Witmie for traps and when they ran into a gaggle of Beanbag Constructs, the half-elf [Fighter] went to town, punching and kicking each one while Durn looked on lovingly. When Witmie reached Level 8, she announced with some excitement that she could take a useful [Knack]. ¡°[Tornado Strike] will let me spin around punching and kicking enemies in all directions. It¡¯s not exactly AOE but it''s also not not AOE.¡± It was a minor boon overall, but they needed anything they could get. ***
Beanbag Construct Rank: D Attacks: Pillow Punch Notes: Cuter than they are deadly, like most constructs they lack a soul.
*** On the 11th [Floor], the party nearly wiped out, falling over for their first rest in hours. Thesa and Durn sat up while Witmie and Merijest took shifts sleeping. ¡°I¡¯m starting to wonder,¡± Thesa said. ¡°If we¡¯re going to face Peter and Kelreyn eventually, should we just wait them out? Wouldn¡¯t that be better than getting sandwiched?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the worst idea,¡± Durn countered, ¡°but I think you were right earlier about how powerful Peter and Kelreyn are. Probably we should try to get through the [Raid] before they even catch up.¡± Thesa agreed, although the plan had already been iterated upon so many times that she figured it would change again soon. After everyone had gotten the chance to sleep, the party took off moving again. *** They stopped for the last time on [Floor] 2. ¡°This is it,¡± Merijest said, trying to think of something more inspiring to rally her [Familiars]. They were counting on her, but she couldn¡¯t find the words. She was shaking from wing to tail. Her arms and legs pulled in on herself. The demoness¡¯s anxiety was obvious. Every vestige of her confident persona was trembling. ¡°If this fails,¡± Merijest continued, ¡°I want to apologize¡­¡± Before she could say more, Thesa interrupted. Some part of her leapt up protectively to stop Merijest from putting herself down. ¡°No. Don¡¯t apologize. You¡­you¡¯re the only reason we made it this far. And maybe we wouldn¡¯t be fighting this fight without you, but that¡¯s not a reason to apologize. That¡¯s a reason for us to thank you. You and me, we¡¯ve both spent a lot of time alone, but we¡¯re together now and we¡¯re going to get through this.¡± Thesa was surprised at how to-the-point her own words were. She looked around at her comrades. Merijest was smiling, though some tears had broken loose on her jittery cheeks. Witmie and Durn were mouthing something (¡®kiss her! kiss her!¡¯). The Foxtapus yipped in agreement, and Yabba¡­delivered another dead bird, nudging it toward Thesa as¡­a gift? Merijest wiped a tear away, and laughed. ¡°Thank you, kitten.¡± She was still curled up in a floating, anxious ball. Thesa took the demoness¡¯s hand and coaxed her out of the defensive pose, pulling Merijest in close for an embrace. Merijest¡¯s whole body relaxed before she tried to re-assume her confident affect. ¡°I picked the right [Paladin], didn¡¯t I?¡± Thesa blushed, realizing her momentary bravado and shrinking a bit as the demoness shifted her weight. She was almost being dipped. Their faces were so close. Merijest¡¯s white pupils gleamed. Her mouth curled into a lip-biting smile. Her expression was so close to sinister, but truthfully she was in awe of her [Witch]. Just as Thesa was about to lean forward, Peter¡¯s voice echoed from behind them. ¡°This fight should push me over to Level 20,¡± he laughed. The party took off again, one staircase away from the final confrontation. 31. Warring / Taunting
Before they had even made it down the steps, they heard the sound of gathered masses resounding near the [Dungeon] entrance. Walking down a short corridor, they divided into small teams. Witmie and Durn went left toward the small chamber nearby (B). Thesa and Merijest took the non-sapient [Familiars] right into the small circular chamber (C). Through the [Party Message] both rooms were confirmed empty. Nothing but uneven brick walls and floors. ¡°Looks like you were probably correct about the funnel, Merijest,¡± Witmie [Messaged]. Witmie and Durn slowly made their way down the snaking corridor, taking each step with care to avoid unnecessary noise. Thesa and Merijest approached the spot where Witmie had recorded a possible secret door. Sure enough, there was a noticeable door-shaped outline in the bricks of the wall. The only mystery remaining was how to open it. The walls were decorated with sconces that might act as hidden levers, but none gave under pressure. None of the bricks turned out to be hidden switches either. While Thesa and Merijest continued to look around, Yabba breathed out a cloud of flies which squeezed between the outline of the door and buzzed through the walls. ¡°Will they even have enough strength to¨C¡± Thesa started, but was cut off by a quiet squeak from Yabba. The Foxtapus, seeming to understand the noise, closed its eyes and flared its tentacle-tails. Something in the walls clicked and the door slid out of the way. ¡°Good work, guys,¡± Merijest said, squatting to pet both creatures. The Foxtapus and Yabba (followed by the jingling Bronze Motif) departed toward chamber A where they waited out of sight of the corridor into the Entrance chamber. Witmie and Durn confirmed their position at the corridor fork just west of chamber A. Thesa and Merijest, alone for the first time in a while, passed through the secret doo,r but rather than a hidden chamber, it was simply a hidden corridor which took them directly into chamber F. ¡°We knew this was a possibility,¡± Merijest reassured the party. ¡°We still might be able to use this to force a temporary funnel later.¡± The large southeastern chamber was empty, but the corridor to chamber D was too well lined up with the corridor into the atrium¡¯s eastern entrance. Thesa and Merijest looked at one another for a long moment. Merijest¡¯s eyes glossed with held back tears. Thesa gave a weak but encouraging smile. Her heart wrung in her chest. She might never get another chance¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t let you down, Mer,¡± Thesa said. Her smile faltered as she considered the coming battle. ¡°But before we start the battle, I should tell you something.¡± Thesa continued, ¡°before I met you, I was just living the life I was told I should be. The life I was told to want. I was so desperate for approval that I carried out their awful plans, but you¡¯ve given me the opportunity to fix my mistakes and to live the life I want to lead. I just¨C¡± her characteristic uncertainty crept back into her voice. ¡°I¡­I lo¡­I¡­¡± she mumbled. ¡°Thank you.¡± Merijest smiled at her [Witch]. She pulled the half-elf into an embrace. ¡°You flatter me, kitten,¡± the demoness said. ¡°No matter what happens, I was so lucky to¡­to¡­¡± Merijest¡¯s smile broke and tears started flowing. ¡°We¡­we¡¯re going to get through this,¡± Thesa said through her own tears. Each buried their head in the other¡¯s shoulder. Thesa felt the soft plumage on Merijest¡¯s neck. She felt warm breath on her neck. This might be her last chance to... She lifted her head and when Merijest did the same, their eyes met. ¡°Thesa, can I k¨C¡± Merijest started to say, but she was cut off. Thesa accepted the request in action, mouth closing with her demoness¡¯s mouth. Merijest¡¯s hands held Thesa¡¯s face. The tips of her retracted claws poked harmlessly against the half-elf¡¯s cheeks. Thesa¡¯s hands wrapped around Merijest and held the scale-covered small of her back. Before they could get too carried away, a [Party Message] came in from Witmie. ¡°Hello? Are we ready to go? What are you two doing over there, making out?" ¡°...Yeah, Sorry¡­¡± Thesa replied, too dazed by the kiss to question responding. When Witmie and Durn flooded the [Party Message] with excited words, Thesa fell out of Merijest¡¯s grip, nearly landing on the ground but her demoness swiftly caught her in a dip, kissed her again, and placed her upright on her feet. ¡°Ok, everyone,¡± Merijest replied. ¡°We can win this. We NEED to win this!¡± ¡°Damn, is Thesa that good at kissing?¡± Durn shot back. ¡°Wait, did I just gain a Level?¡± Thesa replied. As Witmie and Durn lost their minds laughing, Thesa thought back to her realization that social encounters offered more experience for this class than she had expected. *** There wasn¡¯t much time to read through every option, but leaving anything on the table before the fight would be a mistake. Merijest kept watch while Thesa, face still flushed, flicked through options. She opted for a [Curse] called [Synchronized Swimming] which would let her transport one sentient creature with her when using [Dive]. It had its own cooldown which was longer than that of [Dive], but it was game changing. ¡°If we can just stay alive,¡± Thesa [Party Messaged], ¡°then I can get everyone out one-by-one!¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Love the confidence, but let''s not get complacent,¡± Witmie replied. ¡°We¡¯re still going to need to fight like hell to stay alive.¡± ¡°Good point,¡± Thesa agreed. ¡°We¡¯ll need to get close enough for me to get from one side of the [Raid] party to the other anyways.¡± ¡°Alright, enough dawdling,¡± Merijest said. She was back to her confident-self. ¡°Stick to the plan as much as possible but we¡¯ll probably need to improvise.¡± Durn started everything off by casting [Foley Work] to project Witmie¡¯s voice. *** The sun dominated the cloudless sky. Late-spring heat was broken only by infrequent gusts of cool air. Seedlets and pollen hung along the breeze and the distant shrilling of CicadaRats echoed through the leaves. Skilda stood at the front of the [Raid] party. ¡°Everyone maintain your place. The enemy might emerge at any moment.¡± She delivered the thought via the temporary [Raid Message] to all who were present. She also had a number of smaller [Raid Team Messages] for contacting specific cores: the casters, the healers, and so on. Skilda had been a Knight for a decade and a half, but the past few weeks were more of a head-first dunk into the perils of evil than any of her previous training put together. Interspersed among the adventurers were banners with Beautuk¡¯s iconography (mostly depictions of the Three-Horned Bull). Each displayed one of the god¡¯s many epithets: ¡®Illustrious Might¡¯, ¡®Purger¡¯, ¡®Lord of Truth,¡¯ etc. Skilda tried to tell herself that the only reason Thesa turned traitor was because the girl was¡­odd. Everyone knew she was difficult to be around, but [Archknight Superior] had insisted the girl was chosen by Beautuk and good luck changing her mind about anything. The combat ahead certainly was important. However, Skilda told herself (again and again) that it would be a swift victory. The [High Devil] was a problem, but a couple of mid Level party members and some monsters were hardly worth the worry. Ultimately, Skilda¡¯s job as [Raid Leader] was to direct the adventurers and devotees to mob the [High Devil] long enough for Sir Peter to show up and deliver the final blow. Smaller groups were prepared to counter each of the other opponents, but it was all secondary. The plan lived and died on whether Merijest lived or died. ¡°Miss Skilda,¡± [Messaged] a turtle-kin [Fighter], ¡°should I be nearer the front?¡± ¡°Stay where you were assigned, Jelthul,¡±Skilda replied, rolling her eyes. The obnoxious adventurer had the barest of interactions with Thesa and expected star treatment. Kept referring to himself as an ¡®eye witness.¡¯ The information he gathered was nothing compared to what they¡¯d extracted from Clorbo. The rabbit-eared gnome [Alchemist] stood by her side, full glass bottles in each shaky hand. ¡°Don¡¯t get cold feet on me,¡± Skilda spoke aloud. Clorbo only nodded. Then a sound called from the western corridor. It was¡­Peter? ¡°No! I, Sir Peter the Knight, have been stabbed and am now dying, dying¡­dead. Bleh!¡± The voice was an accurate imitation of Peter¡¯s but the melodramatic delivery left a lot to be desired. Skilda shook her head. Illusory nonsense. ¡°Nobody move,¡± Skilda sent to the whole party. ¡°They¡¯re trying to pull us in with illusions.¡± The atrium suddenly filled with dust, kicked up by another spell no doubt. Skilda readied her sword. ¡°Casters, begin dispelling. Nobody advance!¡± *** Durn¡¯s [Dust Cloud] spell was short lived, but anything to drain dispelling resources might be worth it. Even as the cloud dispersed, Yabba was exhaling flies in the thousands. The swarms enveloped the [Raid] party as the Foxtapus released a series of whirling magic bolts. Merijest fired off icicle after icicle and Durn threw additional bursts of dust and air toward the group. The [Raid] party refused the bait. Although projectiles struck here and there, nobody moved any closer. A handful of casters shot back volleys, but Merijest¡¯s party simply hid around their respective doorways. Meanwhile, the non-casters parried any target-seeking spells. This could only last for so long. Again, Durn used [Foley Work] to project Witmie¡¯s voice, her real voice this time. ¡°Hey, folks. Did you all know Beautuk has been lying to everyone?¡± the bunny-eared half-elf announced. ¡°That¡¯s right, the one and only Beautuk is full of it. He¡¯s been hoarding tortured lives in his Realm to siphon their energy. But [High Devil] Merijest will put a stop to it. Anyone who quits the [Raid] now will be spared. Anyone who quits the [Raid] and joins our side will be rewarded. Everyone else, prepare to suffer the wrath of the hottest demon this side of Driskle!¡± There was a pause and then Witmie added. ¡°Also, Clorbo, thanks for selling out on us after Merijest saved your life. Durn and I never even liked your paintings. We just wanted to support our friend, kind of like what you¡¯re not doing right now.¡± ¡°Ignore their posturing,¡± the Knight standing front and center called out behind her. ¡°We have them cornered.¡± *** Vicaress Skilda caught another fly out of the air. The swarm was an annoyance, but nothing else. Among the hundred-or-so gathered adventurers, a very small handful decided to turn tail. The Vicaress wasn¡¯t surprised. That sort of thing often happened just before melee broke out. The Convent devotees remained except for one Skilda didn¡¯t recognize anyway. She looked down at Clorbo who was red in the face. Hopefully it was more righteous anger than regret. *** Yabba took a break from the flies to spit out a few dead birds and the Bronze Motif dropped a few illusory coins. The Foxtapus launched all of them into the [Raid] party if only to damage their morale. A [Party Message] went out from Durn. ¡°Peter and Kelreyn tripped my [Alarm]. They¡¯re about to descend to this [Floor].¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Merijest replied. ¡°Everyone, fallback for the ambush.¡± The whole of Merijest¡¯s party returned to the fork just north of the stairs in chamber E. It was a risky gambit, but starting the fight back here might be their last chance to provoke the [Raid] to advance and break up the funnel at the entrance.
Bonus Vignette ¡°It will cost less [Mana] to project Witmie¡¯s voice than to create the illusion whole-cloth,¡± Durn explained. Illusions were not her specialty so simpler was better. ¡°Why Witmie?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°She¡¯s really good at impressions,¡± Durn replied. Witmie blushed. 32. Raid / Freedom
As Sir Peter and Sir Kelreyn descended the [Floor] with the small handful of devotees gathered from their Knight Stations, everyone prepared for an ambush. Kelreyn faced west and Peter faced east. They approached the first fork in the corridor. Sure enough, Kelreyn saw the half-elf, the half-dwarf, and the Foxtapus charging forward while Peter saw Merijest, Thesa, that weird bird-box thing, and the Bronze Motif. ¡°Stay back so we can funnel them,¡± Kelreyn shouted. ¡°Yeah, I know that Modess Kelreyn,¡± Peter scoffed, annoyed at being told what to do. He¡¯d chosen the more diminutive ¡®Modess¡¯ in addressing Kelreyn, rather than the more appropriate ¡®Sir¡¯ or ¡®Toress.¡¯ As a general rule, he had stuck to ¡®sir¡¯ for fear of tripping up on the forms of address at the Convent, but he was pretty sure ¡®Modess¡¯ was something that a Vicaress or even the Archknight Superior would use to address the lowest rung of Knights. None of the devotees were particularly combat ready, but they each had at least a basic weapon and were told to stick by either Kelreyn or Peter. Before the Knights could back up into the corridor, a sound came from behind. Dozens of flapping wings. ¡°Probably an illusion,¡± Peter said. A flock of surprisingly-corporeal undead birds descended on the devotees, picking and scratching at the gaps in their incomplete armor. *** Jugulars, spinal columns, anything quick and deadly. Merijest¡¯s flock of flying zombies (the soulless vessels were courtesy of Yabba¡¯s weird new ability) took out each combat virgin in a matter of seconds. Another dozen or so charged the Knights, but that was more to distract them or push them into the fork than to do real damage past their armor. Pushed from the safety of the funnel, Kelreyn faced the western fork while Peter stood at her back facing east. At the front of the group, Thesa faced Peter. She assumed a hunched, defensive position with the Menthic Axe in her off-hand and her other ready to summon her halberd in an instant. Behind her, Merijest and the Foxtapus prepared to cast while the Bronze Motif rattled further back. The youngest [Familiar] fired a few shots of [Payday] but nobody wanted to put the little creature too close to harm¡¯s way. ¡°This is your last chance, Kelreyn,¡± Thesa called firmly. Part of her questioned giving the option at all. The vision of Kelreyn killing the Hundred-Legged Snake loomed in her head. She¡¯d been afraid of the thing, yeah, but what Kelreyn had done finally clicked something in Thesa¡¯s brain. These creatures, however much they activated her fear or disgust, were nowhere near as terrifying or revolting as the cruelty of Beautuk¡¯s campaign for power and dominance. Even the Peppermint Wyrm, still incubating like an infection under her skin, was worth so much more than that. Kelreyn scoffed. She refused to turn away from the approaching trio. Witmie charged in front with Durn and the Foxtapus keeping more distance from the melee. Kelreyn wasn¡¯t even paying attention to the undead birds pecking at her armor. Kelreyn replied to Thesa, ¡°worry about yourself.¡± She pointed her sword at the [Witch]. ¡°You know that monster killed Garteth Vicaress, right? Your values were always frail, but I never imagined you¡¯d fall to such depths.¡± Before she could add anything, Witmie bared her fists and charged the Knight. Kelreyn remained at Peter¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t I get a chance?¡± Peter mocked, meeting Thesa¡¯s eyes. ¡°I heard you were a traitor but you¡¯re not even consistent.¡± Merijest replied with a shrug, ¡°we just assumed Kelreyn was in charge.¡± Peter scoffed. ¡°Yeah right. I can do whatever I want.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a sorry replacement for Thesa,¡± Merijest shot back. She stepped in line with her [Witch], closer to the [Paladin] as he charged with his sword. Before Kelreyn could say ¡°idiot,¡± Thesa disappeared from Peter¡¯s peripheral view, popped up between the Knights¡¯ backs, and said ¡°you won¡¯t get to call her a monster again.¡± The spaded halberd stabbed through Kelreyn¡¯s lower abdomen, twisted, and pulled out with explosive force. The Knight gasped but maintained her stance as she spun around to face Thesa. ¡°Nice surprise,¡± Kelreyn said, confidently. ¡°Not enough to¨Cach¨Cput me down¨Cach!¡± The Knight coughed as she spoke, realizing there was less blood leaking from her wound than there should be. Her mouth was dry and her thinking foggy. ¡°Why don¡¯t you care about what Beautuk is doing with my mother and all the others trapped in his Realm right now?¡± Thesa asked. ¡°Shut up about your fucking mother,¡± Kelreyn shot back. ¡°That bullshit miracle was the only reason you were chosen over me and you never deserved it.¡± Thesa¡¯s mind raced over memories, her anger willing her to act but also clouding her thinking. She wanted to understand Kelreyn, to make things better, but Kelreyn refused to meet her halfway. Maybe she never had. Kelreyn started to call on Beautuk for a spell as she turned, but with a punch from Witmie, the Knight¡¯s head whiplashed, her neck cracked and her body keeled over dead. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Thesa,¡± Witmie said with a grin. ¡°We¡¯ve got your back.¡± The death was shocking but in the heat of battle, there wasn¡¯t time to organize her thoughts. Thesa felt simultaneous frustration and grief that Kelreyn hadn¡¯t relented on the one hand and on the other hand she was proud that her and her allies had been able to take out even a single Knight. Her thoughts were cut short when she turned to see Peter going toe-to-toe with Merijest. His sword glowed with holy light and an aura surrounded him. He¡¯d set up the same spells Thesa had once cast to fight the demoness¡¯s Crow-Lion. They might be able to take the [Paladin] on his own now even at his high Level, but the rumble of the [Raid] party grew closer as adventurers charged into the corridors. At the very least the funnel was no more. Durn and Witmie turned to face the western fork that led to chamber C. Yabba, the Bronze Motif, and the Foxtapus followed, covering the rear as they went. Meanwhile, Thesa and Merijest remained at the nexus of three corridors trying to take down Beautuk¡¯s champion. Thesa put herself between the Knight and her demoness, halberd and sword locking together. Merijest summoned a volley of icicles, but before she could move her wrist the [Paladin] pointed at Thesa and shouted with a holy reverberance in his voice, ¡°don¡¯t move a muscle.¡± Thesa froze. As Merijest threw darts of ice, Peter easily avoided being hit. ¡°He cast [Conduct Sigil]. If I go against the command and move, my stats will all take a huge debuff,¡± Thesa [Party Messaged]. The rest of the party was already outside of her peripheral vision. All she could see was Peter and Merijest. Hot fingers of fear gripped her stomach.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Merijest¡¯s eyes narrowed as she turned from Thesa to face Peter. Her height grew until she towered. ¡°You¡¯re not even worthy to give her a suggestion,¡± the demoness shrieked as she took on her Wyrmic form. Additional pairs of wings bloomed from her back with spurts of purple blood. Her body contorted, neck, spine, and tail became serpentine; limbs cracked and stretched into many-jointed appendages. Maroon scales and black plumage covered more of her skin. Her face remained structurally unaltered but contorted nonetheless by rage. White pupils expanded to cover all but a thin red border of her eyes. With her extended limbs, Merijest lifted Peter. Her claws popped and dented his armor. From behind her canine teeth, cold breath emerged slowly, covering the Knight in a layer of frost. She might have killed him right there, but the holy blade of a third, shorter Knight pierced Merijest¡¯s hide. Merijest screamed and hurled the pathetic [Paladin] to the ground. The gash in her side oozed black. Then, lifting her [Witch] in a long-fingered claw, she bounded around the corridor¡¯s corner toward chamber C. There the rest of their party was waiting. The Foxtapus summoned a psychic barrier in both doorways although their opponents hadn¡¯t yet reached either of the chamber entrances. More [Raid] members appeared at the fork, turning out from chamber A. Witmie spit on the ground when she saw Clorbo leading the charge. His rabbit ears were covered awkwardly by a green cowl. Merijest looked over Thesa for injuries but recoiled at the thought of Thesa seeing her in this form again. For her part, Thesa struggled to see what was going on without turning her head. With Skilda catching up again and Clorbo¡¯s detachment blocking the path to chamber A, Merijest shouted ¡°charge!¡± Witmie ran ahead to meet Clorbo and punched him in the jaw. Durn cast [Wind Wall], conjuring a rectangle of swirling air between Witmie and the rest of the party. As the wall was pushed forward, Witmie jumped up landing sideways with her feet against it as she began spinning and punching in every direction. While Witmie used [Tornado Strike] to unleash a whirlwind of blows and plow an opening, her party followed behind, running from the pursuant Knights. Some of the adventurers were of moderate Level but none were prepared for Witmie¡¯s strange windmill maneuver. The surprise was enough to push back the approaching crowd and, as was their actual intention, to escape through the secret door, closing it behind them. They poured into chamber F with relief but the fight was not over yet. It wasn¡¯t the most strategic location since the enemies would eventually pass the hidden door by brain or by brawn, but for a moment they had their own funnel. Merijest¡¯s party resumed many of their tactics from the start, flinging spells, coins, and dead birds. For her part, the demoness extended her elongated torso and shook repulsively, yielding a torrent of frozen purple fluid from beneath her swollen skin. The sleet-like blood, rather than crashing against the ground, swept into a glide that showered the hoard of adventurers in caustic, sanguine precipitation. Unfortunately even dead opponents would clog the path to the exit. Thesa still couldn¡¯t move which meant Peter had survived Merijest¡¯s throw. Thesa didn¡¯t need to ¡®move a muscle¡¯ to use [Dive] but the distance between their current location and the surface was just outside of the ability¡¯s range. In order to get close enough, they had to abandon their funnel. As the party fought their way down the corridor through hoards of adventurers and devotees, Thesa prepared to take them one at a time out of the [Dungeon]. She¡¯d gone back and forth on whether to take Merijest first or the other [Familiars]. If Merijest got out, the whole [Raid] might turn and chase her, but the risk was high for both the demoness and the rest of their team. Merijest¡¯s Wyrmic form made her a more formidable force here in the [Dungeon] than a hundred [Familiars] combined. Anyone left inside would face a steep challenge to remain alive. As they broke past chamber D into the atrium, Merijest¡¯s many-jointed arm handed off a still-paralyzed Thesa to Witmie. In a blink, the [Witch] and the [Fighter] were outside. *** Thesa wasn¡¯t sure how long it had been since she first entered the Blinny [Dungeon]. Outside, she could feel Peter¡¯s spell lose hold of her, unable to breach the magical confines of the [Dungeon]. The trees which had only just begun to recolor themselves when Thesa had entered the [Dungeon] at the end of winter were now green with life. The warm air contrasted the usually cold subterranean chambers she had spent so long in. A small crowd of adventurers and devotees were still waiting for their chance to advance into the atrium, but their attention was pointed away from Thesa and Witmie. The efforts to bait and break up the funnel had worked. From the outside, the [Dungeon] looked like a particularly large but otherwise plain slab of concrete embedded in a large hill. Passersby might never guess that it extended 100 [Floors] below the ground. Thesa directed Witmie toward a tree beside the river. ¡°I think that¡¯s where the Twin Stars want us to meet,¡± she said. ¡°Remember to stay out of sight.¡± Then she used [Dive] to re-enter the fray, appearing beside Merijest. *** In the Entrance chamber, the battle raged on. The width of the room offered some disadvantages to Merijest. More adventurers could sling volley, both magic and mundane. And whereas outside, the available space might allow her to more easily zig through the air, the atrium was still cramped for a creature of her current size. Mainly, Merijest¡¯s focus was on Skilda, but that meant she was bodying any hits that the Foxtapus and Durn failed to intercept. Her legs, or rather her hind legs in this case, were bloody and torn. It was jarring to flick between the relative calm outside back to the internal carnage. The usual metallic taste and ringing ears from [Dive] didn¡¯t help either. ¡°How¡¯s it going in here,¡± Thesa shouted. She didn¡¯t see Peter. Durn replied, ¡°just peachy. How long until you can get me out of here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be another minute,¡± Thesa said. For a moment, her senses all became too intense. Her ears rang and it felt like everything was swelling. She hunched forward, covering her pointed ears. After a few moments, the sensation faded. Each clawed finger of Merijest¡¯s Wyrmic hands twisted and contorted so that each was aimed at a different adventurer. With a snap, the bones broke through skin as spurts of bone extended into the hearts of her targets. Only Skilda and two other adventurers managed to avoid the maneuver (although they didn¡¯t avoid the spray of blood). The Foxtapus continued to summon protective magic for Merijest while the Bronze Motif and Yabba stayed nearby it. The Bronze Motif¡¯s occasional coins dinged against bits of armor and walls. The non-sapient [Familiars] were slowly making their way toward the exit. Durn cast [Gyro Sphere] and sent a swirl of wind in the direction of the exit, knocking several opponents off their footing long enough for a flock of new undead birds to rise from near Yabba¡¯s feat and assault the enemies. ¡°Ok, ready,¡± Thesa said, grabbing Durn¡¯s hand. The pair blinked outside. Thesa again directed Durn toward the meeting spot while she crouched and pinched the bridge of her nose, waiting for her [Dive] cooldown to run up. When it did, she popped back inside. This time, Thesa had no time to adjust to the scene. Peter had reappeared, having snaked through the western corridors in the hopes of cutting the party off. He was a little late for that, but his presence still presented a significant danger. ¡°Thought you got rid of me?¡± Peter laughed. ¡°I¡¯m the main-fucking-character.¡± ¡°The what?¡± Thesa asked as she met the [Paladin] for a flurry of blade and spade. ¡°I¡¯m the hero. You guys are the villains. That means I¡¯m going to win,¡± he continued. ¡°That Beautuk guy even told me I¡¯m chosen.¡± ¡°Beautuk¡­guy?¡± Thesa replied. She could hardly parse what she was hearing. Her head throbbed. ¡°You seem like you hardly know who he is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious he¡¯s the ¡®lawful good¡¯ god in this universe,¡± Peter said. Thesa shook her head confused. ¡°I truly don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± She stabbed her halberd, letting Peter sidestep, thinking he had an opportunity to hit her, but she deftly maneuvered herself to grab him before using [Dive] to take him back to chamber C. ¡°The hell?¡± he shouted. The [Paladin] regained his composure as Thesa darted north (waiting for her [Dive] cooldown). For a moment, the swelling of her senses returned stronger than before and she almost collapsed while running. *** To say Merijest allowed herself to be surrounded would be disingenuous. She was being surrounded, but she loomed close to the ceiling, allowing even more adventurers to crowd beneath her in the chamber while Yabba, the Bronze Motif, and the Foxtapus made a push for the exit relatively unassailed. As Thesa reentered the atrium on the western side, she watched the non-sapient [Familiars] make it through the entryway. A gaggle of adventurers turned toward Thesa and she felt the impact of blades and hammers on her armor. A dagger pierced through a gap in her armor and lodged into her torso. Peter shouted something as he caught up to her. Thesa fell to one knee but she [Messaged] Merijest. ¡°Cooldown is up. Take my hand!¡± One of Merijest¡¯s ruptured dactyls reached out for her [Witch] and then they were outside. Witmie and Durn were waiting by the water where a large clam had emerged and waited open. ¡°Get in,¡± Witmie invited. Before they could, Thesa keeled over, spitting blood. Everything was a swirl of swollen light. Merijest¡¯s body seemed to gray all at once. With a disgusting squeeze through what had just been her mouth, she began to shed the Wyrmic form. The grotesque body grayed and loosened as Merijest¡¯s regular claws wrenched open the Wyrmic mouth and pulled herself through. The now-shed skin was stained with blood and puss. With a nauseous look on her own face but without time to spare, Merijest scooped up Thesa and joined the rest of the party in the clam. The shouts of Peter and Skilda resounded behind them. The clam sank impossibly deep into the shallow water, quickly carrying the party far away.